Tigrane Polat 1874-1950

The son of a Sabalan princess and an Armenian father, and the godson of Nubar Pasha, Tigrane Polat was born in Alexandria where he was a pupil of the Jesuits. He completed his studies at the Lycée Michelet in Vanves, then went to the Académie Julian against the wishes of his father, who wanted to study law and stopped financially supporting him. He married a Polish woman, Justine. The couple settled in Charpont, near Dreux in 1910 where they raised their daughter Geneviève, known as "Wanda."

As an engraver, he illustrated numerous works for book lovers, including “The Well of Saint Clare” by Anatole France (1908), “A Passage by Verlaine” by Paul Valéry (1925), the “Fables” by Jean de la Fontaine (1929) or “Nymphs Dancing with Satyrs” by René Poylesva (1930).

Frédéric Fringhian