Marcel Mouly was born in Paris, France on February 6, 1918. His interest in art developed in grade
school. Mouly was first sent to drawing class as a form of punishment. At age 13 he left school to work,
first as a beach vendor, then as an apprentice to a local dentist and later for a wine merchant delivering
heavy baskets of wine. In 1935, while still employed by the wine merchant, Mouly began taking night
classes in the arts at French Academies, the Cours Montparnasse 80, where he remained until he served
in military duty during the Second World War beginning in 1938.
After France fell to Germany in June 1940, Mouly became a civilian again, and earned a living working
odd jobs. Mouly befriended an artist named Bernard la Fourcade, and the two established a studio in
Auteuil. During a trip to Normandy in 1942, they were stopped by German officials and questioned for
their lack of travel documentation, which was then required by the Vichy government. Mouly and la
Fourcade were arrested shortly after their return to Paris, and mistakenly imprisoned as spies. During
his solitary confinement, Mouly solidified his plans to become an artist.