Alias

Anders Gittelson

Biography

Andre Gisson, named Anders Gittelson at birth, was born into poverty. Living in New York, Gisson took a keen interest in renowned Impressionists such as Monet and was dedicated to his pursuit of becoming a great artist. 

He went on to graduate with an Art degree from the Pratt Institute. Gisson found difficulty breaking into the art market with his Impressionist paintings as an American. He moved to France and legally changed his name to André Gisson.  After serving as a Captain in the United States Army during WWII, he continued his travels and art studies throughout Europe and Asia. A prolific painter, Gisson created hundreds of paintings throughout his lifetime. His work is in the  Triton Museum of Art,  and among his private collectors were President Lyndon B. Johnson and W. Somerset Maugham. 

Gisson lived and worked in Westport, Connecticut for the final twenty-five years of his life. He died in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003.He legally changed his name to sound more French and endeavored to change his social status. The style of Andre Gisson's artwork reveals his wish to be seen as urbane. Prints by Andre Gisson depict landscapes, seascapes, and occasional portraits. 

Paintings by Andre Gisson show his use of vivid colors swept in small, discernible brushstrokes. Through his own cunning and versatility as an artist, Gisson enjoyed the success he sought. Indeed, President Lyndon B. Johnson was among the famous collectors of Andre Gisson's prints. He spent 40 years working in Connecticut and New York, until his death in 2003.