An accomplished French artist, Alfred Godchaux was born in Paris in 1835 and received his formal art training at the l'Ecole des Beaux Arts. On completion of his studies he traveled extensively through Europe spending months studying at the museums in Spain and Italy. On his return to Paris in 1860 he commenced showing his work at the Paris Salon for which he was to receive much praise.

Of his exhibited paintings many were very beautiful Venetian scenes. He left Paris in 1875 and settled in Pau, opening an atelier on Rue Henri IV. The surrounding coastline being so beautiful, Alfred Godchaux found an abundance of subject matter for which there was an appreciative clientele. Instead of exhibiting at the Paris Salon ...