Jean Geoffroy dit Geo (1853 - 1924)

The epitaph of Jean GEOFFROY in the Pantin cemetery is "Painter of children and the humble", which sums up the work of this artist very well. After attending Eugène Levasseur's engraving and lithography classes, Geoffroy exhibited regularly at the Salons from 1874 onwards. He received several awards in the 1880s. He painted genre scenes and portraits, and made a reputation for himself by painting the charms of childhood. Imbued with the naturalism that was so popular at the time, Géo incorporated a striking realism into his painting to faithfully represent the child as he was in his natural environment. Around 1876, he met Hetzel who hired him as an illustrator for children's books. From 1880 onwards, he signed his illustrations with the pseudonym "Geo", which is pronounced Jo.