In the picturesque corners of Concarneau, on the rugged coast of Brittany, in the fall of 1844, a man was born who was destined to capture on canvas the simple but fulfilling lives of Breton fishermen. Alfred Guillou, the son of a fisherman and farmer who later rose to become mayor of Concarneau, had a deep attachment to the sea from the start. With the assistance of renowned lithographer Théodore Le Monnier, Guillou began his journey into the world of art and eventually settled in Paris, where he had the privilege of working in the studio of Alexandre Cabanel.

Paris was not only a place of learning, but also a place of artistic exchange for Guillou. Under Cabanel's guidance, he met like-minded people, including Jules Bastien Lepage and Theophile Deyrolle, with whom he maintained a close friendship. Guillou's passion for painting was contagious, and so he convinced Deyrolle to leave architecture behind and join him in Cabanel's studio. Guillou made his debut at the Salon in 1868 with his work Young Breton Fisherman, a tribute to his Breton roots and the hard work of fishermen.

Despite the fame he achieved in the City of Lights, Guillou and his friend Deyrolle were drawn back to their beloved homeland after a few years. With nothing but what they could carry, they made their way to Concarneau, where they founded the Concarneau Art Colony. The colony benefited from its proximity to Pont-Aven, an artistic gathering place for Paul Gauguin and his followers. Guillou's sister Suzanne, a talented painter, also joined them after she married Deyrolle. Over the years, the colony became a center of attraction for many artists inspired by the sea and the life of the Bretons. Although Guillou maintained a home in Montparnasse after marrying the daughter of the engraver Joseph Gabriel Tourny, he was always drawn back to his hometown. There, after the death of his father in 1887, he built a house and a workshop and became involved in local politics.

Alfred Guillou, the simple fishing boy from Concarneau, left behind not only an impressive collection of paintings celebrating Breton life, but also a vibrant artistic community that became known as the Concarneau Art Colony. His legacy lives on today in the works of artists inspired by the colony, including Peder Severin Krøyer, Charles Cottet, and Jules Bastien-Lepage.