Biography

Born on 2 January 1943 in Livorno (Tuscany), Italy, home of the great Macchiaioli and post Macchiaioli painters, Jean-Pierre Groppx made his debut very early with simple pieces, designing flowers on fabrics. In 1966, after having saved some money, he was able to register with the "Ecole des Beaux Arts" in Paris and join the Studio of Glevreyese where he met other young students like him, forming an everlasting friendship with them. It was there in Paris that the painting of Jean Pierre Groppx began to take form and, for his own enjoyment, "real" life painting. Glevreyese, an academic and teacher, disapproved his paintings as they were too real and Jean Pierre Groppx replied: "if I didn't enjoy myself, believe me, I wouldn't paint ...".

This simple anecdote is enlightening and explains the nature of Groppx's relationship with painting; true enjoyment in the strict sense of the word, a delight and an enlightening of the senses which commences when the painter comes into contact with the painting, outside this exhilarating artistic adventure, studded by masterpieces, but lived as a job, the life of J.P. Groppx is one of absolute normality.

In 1967, Groppx often went to the Louvre to copy the old works there; these are the years in which the artist developed his wish to paint with enthusiasm and happiness, to express his happy disposition with paintings always more representative of life, its objects, animals, flesh, all that which is growth, that lives. During this period, he was employed as a draftsman by an aerospace company (Marcel Dassault). He was the victim of an accident at work and hurt his right hand, his generous hand, that hand which has never stopped celebrating the marvels of life.

The life of J.P. Groppx, increasingly bound to the artistic establishment, was rather different to that of his "Bohemian" friends. After inheriting a notable fortune upon the death of his father, he lived very sociably, going to the "in" Paris bars, such as "La Terrazza del caffé Pigalle" where he could be seen posing as a "dandy". But he found the real meaning of life in the solitude of his studio where he translated the deep feelings and meanings of that glittering world in which he lived into works of art.

Female company provoked strong passions in J.P. Groppx in those brilliant "demi mondaine"  environments normally frequented by him: the very fashionable "Caffè Concerto" where you could meet people of different social classes, Artists, Intellectuals, women of the night and rich bourgeois, a world in which J.P. Groppx found himself perfectly at ease and which he had to abandon due to his illness.

His increasingly delicate health made long periods of rest far from his Paris, his cafés and friends obligatory. Of a weak temperament, unprepared for the fight of success, J.P. Groppx brilliant talents brought him to the attention of the French press. His success was merited as it is the result of long periods of study during his youth. J.P. Groppx has a full and lively brush stroke which shows a decisive modernity in the use of colour, his sensitivity allows you to immediately see the poetry of the image.

Increasingly attracted by Tuscany, where he sought the sun and light and mild climate the only relief to the aches and pains of his hand, suffering continuously sustained, only by his "volupté de peindre", his quick and light touch  skillfully  rendering the grace and softness of his art, enriched by his ability to interpret daily life fixing the moment into immortality on his easel.

Hints of freshness and expressive vivacity which show his ability to understand the individual characteristics. The use of colour and its brilliance; the tones which seem to remind you of the luminosity of the painting, producing pictorial effects reminiscent of the colors of the paintings Velàsquez, the attention and dedication to the observation of life, the principal subject of his paintings, can be seen in this experience of J.P. Groppx.

Confident with pleasing manners and aspect, J.P. Groppx is one of the most impenetrable Artists of the history of Art, his friends, some of whom are dead, Piero Annigoni, Ferruccio Mataresi Lorenzo Palazzi, Francesco Maria Pieri, Carlo Domenici, Novella Parigini describe J.P. Groppx as a fascinating person who was never vulgar, dark brown hair, narrow deep blue eyes sparkling with liveliness and ardour, and expressive mobile mouth with an ironic expression, J.P. Groppx is happy only in Paris, his world, elegant meetings with ladies of high society. J.P. Groppx is tightly bound to the environment of Montmatre where he often goes to small Bistros and dairies full of simple people like himself. J.P. Groppx loved by all for his happy nature and willingness, particularly sensitive to difficult living conditions.

INDRO MONTANELLI