Maurice-Charles-Louis-Hippolyte Taquoy was born in Mareuil-sur-Ay in the Marne region of France in 1878. He became an accomplished horseman with a deep love of the countryside. Equally enthusiastically, Taquoy embraced painting and studied at the Académie Julien in Paris.
Maurice Taquoy had a very diverse artistic career, covering many disciplines. His friend, the artist Bernard Boutet de Monvel (1881 – 1949), taught him the technique of colour engraving, and shared an exhibition with him in 1909. This technique enabled him to produce luminous and beautiful prints of his favourite subjects, horse racing and hunting, and Paris society and fashion.
He also worked as an illustrator for the magazine ‘Vie Parisienne’ and the prestigious fashion magazine ‘Gazette de Bon Ton’.
Maurice Taquoy exhibited his paintings throughout his career at the ‘Salon de Automne’, ‘Salon des Indépendants’, and the ‘Société Nationale des Beaux Arts’. He also had many successful exhibitions in Paris, achieving great critical acclaim by his second one man exhibition at the ‘Galerie Manzi’ in 1913.
In addition he also designed luxury merchandise for Maison Hermes, including saddles, dresses, scarves and trunks.
On the outbreak of the First World War, Maurice Taquoy was commissioned as a war artist. During that time, he recorded the French Army in the Marne and Champagne regions, scenes which are today preserved in the Musée des Invalides in Paris.
After the war, throughout the 20s and 30s, he continued to exhibit at many galleries in Paris with great success. In July 1931 he also produced a collection of gouache racing scenes at Newmarket Races.
Later on, during the Second World War, he painted a series of illustrations of daily life in Paris under the German Occupation. In 1949 he exhibited a collection of twenty works exclusively devoted to horse racing. This was to be his last exhibition and he died in 1952.
