Louis Joseph César Ducornet was born into a poor family in Lille on January 10, 1806. The boy’s parents were very sad, because their son was born disabled. The baby had no arms, and his legs were shortened. There were four toes on each foot. Louis was lucky that his parents did not abandon him, but loved him, despite his significant disabilities.

The boy’s father came up with an ingenious system of straps that allowed him to carry his son on himself. Thanks to his parents’ love and support, as well as his own purposeful character, Louis survived. And not just survived, but charted a path for himself that led him to success.

The boy loved to draw. The lack of arms was not an obstacle. Louis managed to learn to draw with his foot, holding a piece of charcoal, a pencil or a brush between his fingers. The boy’s drawings were so promising that when they caught the eye of a high-ranking official in Lille, he helped send Louis to Paris to study with brilliant teachers.

Louis began a new life. His studies went well. The young man’s successes were noted at the highest level. He received a state pension from King Louis XVIII.

A few years later, the director of the Academy helped Louis Cesar enroll in the Paris School of Fine Arts.

All of France began to talk about the amazing artist. His works were no worse than the works of artists painted by hand. Meanwhile, Louis expanded his technique of creating canvases and could paint not only with his feet, but also with his mouth, holding the brush with his teeth.

Critics were favorable to the artist’s painting. Louis’s paintings were in demand among the French public and, of course, his disability played a significant role in this. One of his contemporaries noted that the artist owed his fame primarily to the fact that he was able to achieve extraordinary results, thanks to his courage and patience, in defiance of nature.

Louis’s paintings were always beautifully crafted. He paid great attention to the subject, composition, lighting and colors. His paintings captivated with dramatic poetry.

Louis was unable to start a family and all his unspent love spilled out in art. He lived a short life. He died in 1856 at the age of 50.

Numerous works by the artist are now scattered throughout France. Some are kept in museums and churches, and most of the canvases have settled in private collections.

The fate of the French artist, who was able to make colossal efforts and develop his remarkable artistic abilities, reminded me of our Russian artist Grigory Zhuravlev. Their fates are similar. Amazing people, strong in spirit.