Bouquet of roses and lilacs

The relationship between the two artists Paul and Raoul de Longpre remained dubious for a long time - their work is often confused. Often the paintings signed by Raoul were attributed by experts to Paul - so much the similarity of their floral still lifes.
Paul was born in Lyon in 1855. His father, uncle and two brothers (one of whom was, perhaps, Raoul de Longprez) were also painters. It is now believed that Raoul was Paul's older brother and both lived in Paris in the late 1870s.
Paul de Longpre moved to the United States with his family, where the artist quickly gained popularity. Paul's first New York exhibition took place in 1896. The artist's floral still lifes were reproduced in the form of postcards, lithographs, etc. In 1899 Paul moved to California (Hollywood) and soon built a magnificent house surrounded by a flower garden, which later became a local landmark. One of the streets is named after the artist Longpre Avenue.
Raoul de Longprey was born in 1843. At the age of 12, the boy earned money by painting fans for a Parisian firm. In 1864, Raoul made his debut at the Paris Salon. Although there is no reliable information about Raoul's stay in the United States, an article in the American Mountain News newspaper "mentioned the artist's work" Roses and Lilacs "displayed at an exhibition in Denver, Colorado. It is possible that Paul was his brother's agent in America.