Tony Thibon French, 1927-2014

Tony Thibon was born on 15 August 1927 in Créteil, Val-de-Marne, and spent his early childhood in the hamlet of Mély, in the warmth of a close-knit family home shared with his older brother Jack and his sister Janet. By all accounts, those early years instilled in him the jovial, optimistic spirit — generous in affection and rich in humour — that would define his character throughout his long life.

The years that followed, however, were marked by profound hardship. The loss of his mother when he was just nine years old shattered the family's stability. His father, overcome with grief, placed Thibon and his sister in separate orphanages, while his brother entered into apprenticeship. Then came the war — the German occupation, the Exodus, and the Resistance — experiences that would leave lasting impressions on both the man and the artist.

Yet even in those difficult years, a creative sensibility was quietly taking root. During the orphanage's wartime evacuation to Normandy, Thibon found solace in observing nature and animals. Later, back in Saint-Mandé, he spent much of his leisure time at the nearby Zoo de Vincennes, sketching animals with a dedication that hinted at the artist he was becoming.

His formal artistic training came through evening classes at the École des Beaux-Arts at the Place des Vosges. There, he was noticed by a professor named Lagrange, a recognition that proved pivotal. Through Lagrange and Gérard Blitz — the founder of Club Méditerranée, whom Thibon first encountered on the island of Corfu in its earliest days — he entered the construction sector as a draftsman. He went on to specialise in on-site surveying for the restoration of historical monuments, building a distinguished career as an engineer and site manager, working alongside architects of historical monuments across France's great cathedrals and châteaux.

Throughout his professional life, Thibon never allowed his painting to fall silent. Whether travelling for work or on family holidays, he carried his easel and drawing board in search of the next subject — memorising scenes with rapid sketches, then translating them into paintings upon his return. Any object brought back from his travels became a source of inspiration. An engaged observer of the world around him, he was interested in social life in all its forms, and his work bears witness to the times through which he lived. Stone, material, texture and touch all speak through his canvases.

For much of his career, Thibon worked quietly and without commercial ambition, exhibiting primarily figurative works and remaining largely outside the orbit of major galleries. He continued to paint, progress and refine his vision until his death on 17 January 2014, at the age of 87.

In 2022, Thibon's works made their United States debut exclusively through T. Botero Galleries.