Philippe Noyer (1917 – 1985) was born in Lyon, France. Noyer enrolled in the Beaux Arts School of Lyon after a traditional course of study at the elite Ecole des Roches. He then proceeded to Paris and joined Paul Colin School of Art where he experienced the turbulence of Surrealism first hand on the Left Bank of Paris. Noyer started his painting career in 1943. In that same year he met Emmanuel David, the famous Paris art dealer, who from 1943 – 1950, promoted world-known "School of Paris" painters. Emmanuel immediately put Noyer on contract with Drouant-David Gallery of Paris. Apart from his paintings, which represented round-faced urchins with their pet animals and owls wrapped in leaves, Noyer soon became one of the most sought after portraitist of London and Paris high society.
The Drouant-David Gallery gave him his first solo show in 1947, which immediately crowned him with instant success. Noyer says his stroke of luck for his success in the US can be attributed to the former President of the 20th Century Fox movie company, Mr. Robert Goldstein. It was in 1949 while he was still working with Drouant-David Gallery, the Gallery gave 20 of his paintings on consignment to an American art dealer who had agreed to organize an exhibition of them in the US. However, the American dealer was a heavy gambler and one night, before the show, he suffered serious losses and was forced to sell off the paintings without a profit. Luckily enough, the buyer turned out to be Robert Goldstein and he was so pleased with the art that he distributed them to his friends who, in turn, made Noyer's name to be known on the West Coast.
