Alfred Lombard, who came from a wealthy background, devoted himself to painting only after studying history and literature in order to please his family.
In 1903 he was allowed to attend classes at the Marseille School of Fine Art without officially enrolling but quickly tired of the teaching there, considering it too theoretical, and opted for a more practical approach in the studio of the painter Alphonse Moutte where he was taken on as an assistant.

Alongside his friend Pierre Girieud, he strove to preserve the energy of Provençal painting by founding the Salon de Mai in Marseille. The outbreak of the First World War meant that only the 1912 and 1913 exhibitions were held.
His painting, which was associated with fauvism for a time, was characterised by a return to classicism in the 1920s once his youthful ardour had cooled. During the next decade he devoted himself to monumental decoration and took part in many projects including decorating the Atlantique and Normandie ocean liners, which were flagships of the decorative arts. In Boulogne he owned a house/studio built to look like an ocean liner. The building, which is remarkable for its modernity, was designed by Pierre Patout.

From the 1940s onwards Lombard’s approach to painting became more radical. His means of expression took a more concise turn, applying a more intellectual approach to his vision of the world. In the 1950s he flirted with abstract painting before reintroducing more figurative elements in very rhythmic compositions.

Lombard’s career is marked by his refusal to compromise. Only two solo exhibitions were devoted to him during his lifetime : one at the Paul Rosenberg Gallery in 1914 and the other at the Druet Gallery in 1925.
This sparse record can be explained by the difficulty Lombard experienced in accepting the demands of the market and his refusal to allow his work to be sold for fear of compromising his integrity. He even went so far as to claim in writing that he wanted his works to have no market value whatsoever.

Even though he had actively participated in the annual salons and theme-based exhibitions in Parisian galleries, in 1939 he actually prohibited any further showing of his work. With very few exceptions, he stuck to this resolution until the end of his life..