Known as the "king of flowers," Paul de Longpré was the son of a designer. At an early age he began decorating silks and fans but soon turned to watercolor painting. He exhibited at the Paris Salon only once, in 1880; many articles published after his arrival in this country in 1890 erroneously reported that de Longpré won a medal at the Paris Salon.

Although known primarily as a California artist, de Longpré first lived for nine years in New York, where he was given two successful exhibitions at the American Art Galleries, in 1895 and 1896. Reproductions of his paintings in national art magazines also garnered him wide recognition. De Longpré spent part of each year in the New Jersey countryside, where he visited local greenhouses. Sometime during the late 1890s he moved to Southern California to recuperate from a serious operation, and in 1901 he built a house in Hollywood that during his lifetime was known for its art galleries and elaborate gardens. Although he occasionally painted oils, he became famous for his mastery of the watercolor medium.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
"America’s Foremost Flower Painter," Art Interchange 35 (November 1895): 118 § Pierre N. Beringer, "Le Roi des Fleurs: A Citizen of the Republic," Overland Monthly n.s. 35 (March 1900): 193, 234-36 § Louis N. Richards, "The King of the Flower Painters in His California Home," Overland Monthly n.s. 43 (May 1904): 395-402 § Addison E. Avery, "Paul de Longpré: Painter of Roses," American Rose Annual (1948): 72-76 § Moure with Smith 1975, pp. 66-67, with bibliography.