The oeuvre of Maurice Utrillo is both fascinating and tragic, as the Frenchman, born as Maurice Valadon, began painting in a time strongly influenced by alcoholism. Impressionist art served him as a model, thus his city views, landscapes and street scenes are characterized by a delicate coloring, an easy yet confident stroke of the brush as well as by particularly atmospheric accents of light. His always realistic imagery also characterizes the gouaches and print works, among them the subtle lithographs. His "période blanche" made for a special focus in the middle of his artistic creation, a period during which Maurice Utrillo employed a color palette that was dominated by shades of white, at times mixed with sand or other materials, before he again returned to using different colors. Important museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, are in possession of works by Maurice Utrillo.