Paris vu du Square Saint-Pierre

c. 1904

Takes up painting on his mother's advice

His mother encourages Maurice to take up painting, and he turns to it to distract himself from alcohol; his real talent soon shows.

1904

Falls ill with schizophrenia at 21

Schizophrenia takes hold of the 21-year-old Utrillo; throughout his life he is confined to mental asylums again and again.

c. 1904

Self-taught: paints the views of Montmartre

Utrillo receives no systematic training: his mother suggests some principles, and he picks up other things from the artists working in Montmartre. He himself draws and paints what he sees there — cityscapes.

c. 1906

Signs his work Utrillo instead of Valadon

Until 1906 Maurice signed his works as Maurice Valadon; he then takes the surname Utrillo, the name of Miquel Utrillo, who had adopted him.

1910s

The critics recognise his work

Utrillo's cityscapes appealed to ordinary viewers, but for a long time they went unrecognised by art historians and critics, who came to appreciate his work only in the 1910s.