▁Sal on ▁debut ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁with ▁Dead ▁Christ , ▁Neg ro ▁Boy , ▁The ▁Reading ▁Less on , ▁and ▁Port rait ▁of ▁a ▁Man . ▁ ▁In ▁Mont mart re , ▁he ▁had ▁an ▁affair ▁with ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁models , ▁Su z anne ▁Val ad on , ▁who ▁would ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leading ▁artists ▁of ▁the ▁day ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁mother , ▁teacher , ▁and ▁ment or ▁of ▁Maurice ▁U tr illo . ▁From ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁relationship ▁with ▁the ▁Roman ian ▁prin cess , ▁Marie ▁Cant ac uz ène . ▁The ▁couple ▁were ▁together ▁for ▁ 4 0 ▁years , ▁and ▁were ▁married ▁before ▁their ▁death s ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 . ▁ ▁Work ▁▁ ▁Pu vis ▁de ▁Ch av annes ' ▁work ▁is ▁seen ▁as ▁symbol ist ▁in ▁nature , ▁even ▁though ▁he ▁studied ▁with ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁rom antic ists , ▁and ▁he ▁is ▁cred ited ▁with ▁influen cing ▁an ▁entire ▁generation ▁of ▁pain ters ▁and ▁sculpt ors , ▁particularly ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁the ▁Modern ists . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁prot ég és ▁was ▁Georges ▁de ▁Fe ure . ▁ ▁M ural ▁work ▁▁ ▁Pu vis ▁de ▁Ch av annes ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁m ural ▁painting , ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁' the ▁painter ▁for ▁France .' ▁ ▁His ▁first ▁commission ▁was ▁for ▁his ▁brother ' s ▁ch ate au , ▁Le ▁Br ouch y , ▁a ▁medieval - style