Xavier Valls facts for kids

Francesc Xavier Valls Subirà (born September 18, 1923, died September 16, 2006) was a Spanish painter. He spent most of his life living in Paris, France. He was especially good at painting still lifes, which are pictures of everyday objects like fruit or flowers. You can find his paintings in museums in Spain. Xavier Valls was also the father of Manuel Valls, who used to be the Prime Minister of France.

Early Life

Xavier Valls was born in Barcelona, Spain, on September 18, 1923. His father, Magí Valls, worked for a Catholic newspaper in Catalonia called El Matí.

When he was a teenager in the 1930s, Xavier learned about art. He was taught by a Swiss sculptor named Charles Collet and a Spanish painter named Jaume Busquets.

His Career as an Artist

Xavier Valls started his career working as a designer for a jeweler named Ramon Sunyer. He also worked with architects like Lluís Bonet Garí and Isidre Puig Boada, and a designer named Santiago Marco.

In 1946, he helped start a group of artists called the Cercle Maillol. This group was part of the French Institute in Barcelona. Other artists in the group included Charles Collet and Suzanne Alemany.

In 1949, Xavier Valls moved to Paris, France. He received a special scholarship from the French Institute of Barcelona to help him move. He liked Paris so much that he decided to stay there. By 1953, his paintings were being shown in big art shows like the Salon d'Automne. He also worked with a famous artist named Fernand Léger to design stained glass windows. His artwork was shown in important art galleries owned by Henriette Gomès and Claude Bernard.

Xavier Valls won an award called the Prix Drouant in 1980. The next year, in 1981, the Musée Ingres in Montauban, France, had a special art show just for his paintings. In 1984, a museum in Madrid, Spain, called the Museo de Arte Moderno, bought one of his paintings called Pêches et pichet (which means "Peaches and Pitcher"). In 1989, he was given a special honor called Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to art.

In 2003, he wrote a book about his life called La meva capsa de Pandora, which means "My Pandora's Box."

Family Life

Xavier Valls married Luisangela Galfetti in 1958. In 1962, they had a son named Manuel Valls. Manuel later became the Prime Minister of France in 2014. Even though Xavier and his family lived in Paris, they would spend their summers in Barcelona every year.

His Death

Xavier Valls passed away in Barcelona in 2006. He was 82 years old. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer just one month before he died.

After His Death

In 2009, three of his paintings were sold at an auction by Christie's in London.

See also

In Spanish: Xavier Valls para niños