Paul Emile Lecomte was born in Paris on 29 October 1877 and received his early training from his uncle Paul Lecomte (1842-1920), a landscape painter. With great talent, he continued his artistic training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in the studio of the history and portrait painter Fernand Cormon (1854-1924). Like many artists at the turn of the century, Lecomte combined the formal training he received at the Ecole with the new ideas of the Impressionists. His works display an orderly composition, but are created with a thick application of colour and flowing brushstrokes. His favourite motifs included rural market squares and harbours. His work was highly regarded by both the public and his fellow artists, and he was awarded the silver medal for his works exhibited at the 1920 Salon and the gold medal in 1922.