Maurice Utrillo

(1883–1955)

Maurice Utrillo (1883–1955) was a French painter noted for his depictions of the houses and streets of Montmartre in Paris. Born out of wedlock, Utrillo was the son of the model and artist Suzanne Valadon. His father was unknown, and he was given his name by a Spanish art critic, Miguel Utrillo. He received no formal instruction as an artist beyond what his self-taught mother gave him. When he became an alcoholic as an adolescent, his mother encouraged him to take up painting as therapy. Despite his frequent relapses, painting became Utrillo’s lifelong obsession.