Émile-Jean Armel-Beaufils (1882 - 1952)

Émile-Jean Armel-Beaufils was born in Rennes, where he attended the Beaux-Arts until 1909 before entering the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he frequented the studios of Merson, Mercié and Labatut. He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Français after graduating from the Beaux-Arts until 1951, where he won a bronze medal in 1914, a silver medal in 1921 and a gold medal in 1924. Like many artists in this post-war period, he became famous for his commemorative works. Between 17 and 20 he made 9 monuments to the dead in Brittany. In 1923 he married Zannic Duvivier, also an artist, who also worked for the Manufacture Quimpéroise. In 1929 he began his collaboration with the Henriot company, he was at the height of his fame at that time, his career extended far beyond Brittany although he remained very faithful to it. He contributed to the decoration of the Ministry of the Navy in 1933 and was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur in 1934.

Dividing his life between Paris and Saint-Briac, he liked to work in various materials on subjects inspired by traditional Brittany, the Ouessantines, the Pennhérès of Plougastel and subjects drawn from seaside life; concerned with the harmony of volumes and lines, he refused the picturesque and favoured formal quality.