Pierre Ambroise de Berroeta was born in Paris in the 17th arrondissement on the first of April 1914, the son of Jacques Alfred de Berroeta and his wife Marthe Tinel. Alfred was an industrialist in the goldsmith's trade whose business connections were in Argentina but his great passion in life was art and he collected the work of many of those who have since become famous.

From his very earliest years, Pierre displayed a great interest in drawing and colors. Parallel to his studies at the Lycée pasteur at Neuilly, Pierre received drawing lessons from Madame Sampigny and lessons in painting and wood-engraving from Clément Cerveau the painter.

Holidays were spent in the Basque Country in the family villa at Beyris, to...