Edgard Cognat

Who was Edgard Cognat?

Edgard Cognat was an Award winning Brazilian painter and sculptor born in Rio de Janeiro.

Early life and career

As a child, during his school years, Edgard already showed interest in art, specially drawing. He was also a music enthusiast, and his favourite instrument was the violin. He actually studied violin with his father and he turned 16, though a short time later he realized music wasn't for him, and he decided to dedicate most of his time to his biggest talent: painting.

At 17, he joined the "Belas Artes" course in Rio directed by Professor Carlos Chambelland, with whom he studied drawing, painting and decorative art. After studying the methods used by some of the greatest European artists of all time, like Rembrandt, Rubens, Dürer and others, he started his unique experiences with drawing, in several different phases: "água-forte", xylography and lithography. Four years later, he showed his artwork for the first time at the "Salão Nacional de Belas Artes", and in the following year he showed his work again there, this time receiving two awards: the "Menção Honrosa" in painting and the "Medalha de Bronze" in drawing.