Yellow Moon setting over the Sea (1111.198.1ab)

Oil painting. Gold gesso frame. Yellow moon setting over the sea. The shore is in the foreground.

Frank Charles Pevraud (b 1858, d 1948) was born in Switzerland. He studied art in Paris and must have achieved success in Europe as an artists, for he was mentioned in a set of reference books called "Benezit". This reference is for European artists and is similar to out Who's Who in American Art.

We do not know whether Peyraud came to Peoria just to work at and teach art-- or whether he came here because he was commissioned to paint wall-size murals for the Peoria Public Library, which was completed in 1895. He lived in Peoria three years, according to the daughter of one of his students, then moved to Chicago to teach at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Peyraud did not do the Library murals alone. His partner was another artist named Hardesty G Maratta (1864-1924), who also was the inventor of the Maratta Palette, sometimes mentioned in Art History textbooks.

When the Peoria Public Library murals were completed, they were pronounced "The greatest art works west of the Alleghenies" by the Chicago Tribune.

When Peyraud died, Chicago newspapers called him "Illinois' foremost landscape painter." There are several of his paintings in the collection of the Union League Club in Chicago as well as in Flanagan House and the Peoria Woman's Club in Peoria. Others are in private collections in this area. Peyraud's wife preceded him in death and was also an artist (illustrator of books or magazines).