Paul Fontaine Mersereau

French–American • Born 1873

Paul Fontaine Mersereau was born in 1873 in Rheims, France, and received his formal artistic training at the Académie Julian in Paris, studying under Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant. He also worked under the influence of the American landscape painter George Inness, whose tonal atmospheric approach would later inform Mersereau’s own style. After completing his studies, he emigrated to the United States and settled in Shreveport, Louisiana, while also spending significant time working and traveling in Texas.

Over the course of his career, Mersereau traveled widely across the United States, exhibiting his work in numerous cities and establishing himself within the growing network of American regional art communities. He served as President of the Southern National Academy of Design until 1933, when he was succeeded by Nan Sheets, and he was an active member of the Society of American Artists.

Mersereau’s work is represented in multiple public collections throughout the American South, including museums and institutions in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. His paintings are often characterized by gentle atmospheric effects and a refined command of light, reflecting the blend of his French academic foundations with the landscapes and sensibilities of the American South.