Jean Poulain (1884 - 1967) - Vautour

Born in 1884 in Katanga (former Belgian Congo) – Died in 1967 in Belgium.
Son of a mining engineer during the reign of Leopold II.
A self-taught artist, from a very young age he sought to capture all the emotions and beauty of Africa. His love and passion for drawing are incredible. Over the years, drawing has become for him a form of expression that nothing can stop.
In 1904, he left his family to explore the territory of the Belgian Congo.
In 1912, he set off to explore the African continent, alternating visits to various African countries with returns to his family in Katanga. During his travels, he met his future wife, the daughter of a copper mine owner, whom he married in 1917. From 1920 onward, he developed his artistic skills, particularly in painting and animal drawing. He and his wife traveled extensively in Africa, encountering tribes and secretive clans, keeping their locations secret to protect them from outside civilization.
In the 1930s, after these expeditions, he produced more accomplished drawings based on his sketches, sketchbooks and photographs.
He died in 1967 without leaving any heirs.
Following the instability during the period of independence of the Belgian Congo and due to the death of her husband, his wife gathered a large part of his work and returned to Europe. She died in 1973.
In recent years, Jean Poulain has been considered an essential artist for animal drawing.