Andre Devambez was a French painter best known for his work "The Charge" (above) which is housed in the Musee d'Orsay, Paris. He tackled many subjects during his artistic career - agricultural landscapes, aviation scenes, street scenes featuring parades, demonstrations and unrest, theatre and cinema crowds, beach scenes, as well as many illustrations for periodicals of the day. All his works have one thing in common - drama, scale and detail. He did not shy away from repetitive crowd scenes, often taking dramatic and sometimes skewed vantage points and looking at huge expanses full of tiny people. His work is in some ways reminiscent of modern reportage photography.
His interesting use of composition, his minutely observed crowds of people, and the drama he liked to portray all meet in "The Charge" which is probably his most accomplished work. It would be interesting to learn which parts of his street scenes were based on photographs and what portions were painted at the scene or from live models.
"The Charge" can be explored in greater detail (it's worth it) at the Musee d'Orsay website.
A few of his other works (two sadly only available in b&w) -
"Salle Pleyel," 1928
"L'Escorte du président Wilson, place Saint-Augstin, 14 décembre 1918," 1919
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