Google Doodle on Wednesday celebrated the renowned French painter Louis Joseph César who gained fame for his ability to paint with his feet.
Ducornet was born in 1806 in Lille, a city in northern France, without arms or thighs due to a condition called phocomelia.
The French painter, who drew using his foot, become renowned for his portraits and illustrations
Today’s animated Google Doodle celebrates French artist Louis Joseph César Ducornet, a renowned painter in the 1800s who painted solely with his foot due to limb differences from birth.
Born on 10 January 1806 in Lille, France, today would have been his 218th birthday.
Who is Louis Joseph César Ducornet?
The French protégé honed his craft, becoming a skilled illustrator. As a result, and thanks to the local government, he was sent to Paris where he studied under some of the city’s most renowned artists.
For a short period, he even received a pension from King Louis XVIII himself to enable him to continue his training.
Whilst his disability prevented him from entering the Prix de Rome, a renowned French scholarship foundation, he earned several medals from the prestigious Salon d’Art.
In 1840, he painted an 11-foot-high depiction of Mary Magdalene at the feet of Jesus which was bought by the French government.
His disability prevented him from entering the competition for the Prix de Rome, a French scholarship for students of art established by King Louis XIV, but he was bestowed with honours and several medals at the Salon d’Art where exhibitionswere held.
Ducornet established himself as an artist, focusing mostly on biblically-inspired and historical pieces such as Repentance (1828) and St. Louis administering Justice. The Lille Museum features both paintings to this day.
In 1840, the French government bought one of his paintings, a 11-foot-high depiction of Mary Magdalene at the feet of Jesus after the resurrection.
He would later go on to paint his most famous work, a self-portrait portraying him painting with his foot.
Ducornet died in 1856 aged 50. His work can still be found displayed in art museums across France.
mworldnews.com