Françoise Adnet (Paris, 1924 – Paris, 2014) was a French figurative painter who, after an initial career as a pianist, devoted herself fully to painting from 1951 onward. Her work, produced over more than half a century, was shown in numerous museums and private collections.
Born in Montmartre into a family connected to design, she trained musically with Marguerite Long, Alfred Cortot and Marcel Ciampi, and gave her first recital at the age of twelve. Between 1946 and 1951 she performed across Europe, and in 1948 she joined a cultural tour for the occupying forces. Her repertoire included works by Chopin, Bach and Debussy. Around 1951 she left music behind and, self-taught, turned to painting, mostly in oil, though she also made some drawings. Her main subjects were animals, flowers, Paris landscapes, nudes, still lifes and, above all, portraits, mostly of women. Her figures often convey melancholy or anguish. She was influenced by Bernard Buffet, Jean Jansem and Francis Gruber, and is associated with the misérabiliste movement. Her work received awards including the Grand Prize of the Bruges Biennale and the Silver Medal of the City of Paris.