The French painter Adolphe Louis Gaussen, born on 12 May 1871 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), received his artistic training at the École des Beaux-Arts de Marseille, where he studied under Magaud and Guindon and was particularly influenced by Jean-Baptiste Olive. He quickly established himself as a leading figure in the Marseille art scene and was later appointed curator of the Musée Cantini. He was a regular exhibitor at the Salon de la Société Coloniale des Beaux-Arts. In 1928, he was honoured with both the title of Peintre Officiel de la Marine and the appointment as an Officier de la Légion d’Honneur. He had been exhibiting at the Paris Salon as a member of the Salon des Artistes Français since 1893, with his depictions of the beaches and harbours of the Côte d’Azur attracting particular attention. Gaussens’s painting is characterised by a visual language that is objective yet imbued with a deep connection to nature – both in his landscapes and in his seascapes. A favourite motif was the so-called La Corniche, that impressive stretch of coastline east of Cap Ferrat, where the mountains drop steeply into the Mediterranean. In these works, his special affinity with the landscape of the French Riviera is particularly evident. Many of his paintings were purchased by the French state. Today, Gaußen’s works can be found in major collections such as the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris and the Petit Palais, as well as in museums in Amsterdam, New York, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Beaune, Digne, Marseille, Nîmes, Toulon and Troyes.