At just 24 years old, French painter Éléonore de Gentile has transformed her passion for beauty into a thriving artistic career, sharing her works on social media since 2021 and recently launching her own entrepreneurial venture. The young artist, who seeks to put her art at the service of good, embodies the words of the Craftsman's Prayer: "Remind me that the work of my hand belongs to You and that it is mine to return it to You by giving it."
Born in Nantes, de Gentile discovered painting at an early age and it quickly became her passion. After graduating from high school, she chose to nurture her love and pursuit of beauty by entering literary preparatory classes, where she temporarily stopped painting. However, upon completing her preparatory studies, the desire to return to her canvas and easel came flooding back. During the 2020 lockdown, confined to her small student room, she decided to take the plunge back into art.
"I had nothing to do in my small room, so I picked up my watercolor supplies and started painting again," de Gentile recalls. "I was so happy to find my brushes again that I threw myself into it completely. And I started posting my paintings on Instagram alongside my communication studies." Gradually, she built up her social media presence and commissions began pouring in. In September 2024, upon completing her studies, the young artist decided to dedicate herself entirely to painting and developing her website.
Now based in sunny Toulon in southern France, de Gentile has already sold around forty paintings from various collections and received twenty specific commissions. She manages her entrepreneurial activity entirely on her own, which represents a considerable amount of work. "You have to build your audience, try to be credible with clients, and maintain a real presence on social media," she explains. However, for the young painter, the commercial aspect of her work must remain secondary to the actual painting: "My idea is to be an artist above all else and to put communication at the service of my art."
To help her with her project, de Gentile relies on her daily appointment with Christ, whom she meets each morning during Eucharistic Adoration. "It changes my life. I entrust my day and everything I create to Jesus," she shares. In Toulon, she has found the landscapes and atmospheres that inspire her work. "In Provence, there's a particular light, very beautiful. It nourishes my paintings with its shimmering colors and lots of joy."
For her third collection, the young artist draws inspiration from the work of Spanish painter Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923), known for his scenes bathed in Mediterranean light. Among flower markets, ochre buildings, and arcades of Toulon's old town, de Gentile's canvases reflect the calm and sunny life of the French Riviera. Her fifth collection tells a completely different story. Called "Marine," it takes its sources from a visit to the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.
"Last January, I visited this flagship of the French Navy and I realized that exceptional human, political, and economic adventures were being lived there, beyond the magnificent landscapes it crosses," she explains. During this excursion, de Gentile learned about the Official Painters of the Navy Competition, which gives special recognition to certain painters specialized in marine subjects. She then embarked on creating about thirty canvases. "In painting the sea, I realized how much I loved it, how much the work of light on water captivated me. There's a very strong contrast game between the structure of the ship and the fluidity of water. It's fascinating."
In her daily work as a painter, de Gentile wants to work for Beauty and Good. "If light, gentleness, a form of joy emanates from my canvases and it can do good to whoever looks at my painting, then I feel like I'm bringing my little stone to the edifice of society, my own stone," she reflects. Certain that art has meaning for the world and nourishes the soul, the young painter often refers to Saint John Paul II's Letter to Artists. She particularly retains this passage that touches her: "The one who perceives within himself this kind of divine spark that is the artistic vocation also perceives at the same time the duty not to waste this talent, but to develop it to put it at the service of one's neighbor and all humanity."
Aware that the painter's profession is not financially simple, de Gentile also sees painting as a form of abandonment to Providence. She rejoices in the way Heaven has guided her to this point. "I feel like I've been guided providentially toward what I do, little by little, without great fanfare. There's work on my side but there are also many graces," she says. This particular Grace can be found in the religious paintings created by de Gentile. Her canvas "Jesus Knocks at the Door" is one of the most beautiful examples.
Created for the diaconal ordination announcement of a seminarian from Toulon who was converted by Christ's words in Revelation, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" (Rev 3:20), this painting also deeply marked de Gentile. "This commission came at a difficult time when I was launching this adventure, and it allowed me to entrust my journey to the Lord!" she remembers. The artist's work will be showcased in an upcoming exhibition from December 1-10 at the Town Hall of the 7th arrondissement in Paris, offering art lovers a chance to experience her luminous creations firsthand.
