Francois Brochet

1925 – 2001

François Brochet was a prolific French painter, sculptor, and engraver. Son of painter and playwright Henry Brochet, he was profoundly influenced by a 1942 meeting with Le Corbusier, who encouraged his artistic freedom through drawing.

Brochet's career flourished after 1946, when he created tapestries for St. Stephen's Cathedral and sculpted figures like Marie Noel. Around this time, he immersed himself in printmaking and photography, inspired by Japanese prints and 19th and 20th-century engravers. His first Paris exhibition took place in 1948. Over 54 years, he produced daily, resulting in over a thousand sculptures. His works were exhibited extensively in Paris, Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, with several pieces acquired by the French Government.

Today, his former summerhouse serves as a gallery for his art, and over 100 of his polychrome wood sculptures are housed at the Museum of Visitation in Auxerre.