Jules Fontanez

Jules Fontanez is a Genevese painter and illustrator (May 2nd 1875 Geneva - November 28th 1918 Geneva).

Biography

It is born on May 2nd, 1875 to the 13, of the place of the Temple in Geneva in the middle of the district St Gervais. His/her father Leon, French citizen born with Lélex (Ain), is employed of trade. His/her mother Joséphine Mollard exerts the trade of justifieuse of parts with music.

Jules is only four years old when his/her father dies on June 5th, 1879. His/her mother remarie and marries a clock and watch maker Louis Frederic Zurlinden.

Jules spends his holidays to Lélex in his grandmother In the French Courrier of December 1st, 1901 it writes “Until the moment when I wines in Paris, I spent most clearly my time to sin the frogs in the Jura trying meanwhile to make cartography and architecture”

At fifteen years Jules wood engraver with the Ecole of the Industrial arts becomes apprentice. It has as professor Alfred Martin

He is exerted the caricature and collaborates various newspapers like Sapajou , Passe-partout and humorous Papillon newspaper appearing one Wednesday out of two alternatively with the Swiss Patrie which made the joy of the Genevese to the turning of XXe S.

At the same time, it receives its first orders and carries out for Paris Bazar and Walner Opticien of the posters colors.

In 1898, it goes to Paris where it will perfect its formation in particular with Antonio of Gandara (1862-1917) former student of Jean-Leon Gérôme and portraitist very required society man,

It accomplishes several stays in Brittany where it paints landscapes melancholic persons.

It meets Jerome Doucet, director of the illustrated Revue . This one will call upon him not only to regularly provide drawings or caricatures but also to illustrate humorous news of Alphonse Allais or Alfred Capus.

He also entrusts to him the illustration of his work the book of the Masks published under the pseudonym of Monfrileux where he depicts the characteristics of various social classes or trades (marine, in love, ragmen, bakers), characters of the life of the every day on the principle of physiologies very in vogue at the 19th century.

Jules also provides drawings to the French Courrier, which characterized about 1900 the light and sarcastic spirit of fine Paris of century and accommodated the elite of the draftsmen of the time. The fashion was to the characters of the Commedia dell' arte: Pierrot, Pebble, Harlequin and Punchinello.

Since 1902, Fontanez works on the illustrations required by the editor “the Book and the Print” for a new work, celebrates it Gaspard of the Night: imaginations with the manner of Jacques Stone-block and Rembrandt of Aloysius Bertrand. Inspired by the two large artists, Jules shows there a perfect control of the feature worthy of the first while being able to express theobscure worthy ones of the second.

During a stay in Geneva, his/her friend Antoine Dufau speaks to him about his project of book. Dufau (1866-1936), engraver, journalist became later preserving Museum of Decorative Arts of Geneva. In 1906, Figâsse and Duranpont appears under the pseudonym of Pierre Duniton with sketches where Fontanez expresses all its tenderness for the small people of Geneva which he knows well to have passed his youth with the district St Gervais.

Many newspapers request Fontanez and ask him its drawings. Thus he collaborated as well in the Free Word, newspaper of nationalist inspiration and anti-semite of Edouard Drumont as with Gil Blas, re-examined more protestor (1893-1912) directed by Doucet.

Fontanez evolved/moved as well in these circles of declining aristocrats like Jean Lorrain and Robert de Montesquiou, artists nicely anarchistic like Raoul Ponchon or of “the extreme line night bird” with Paul-Jean Toulet.

From 1907, Fontanez collaborates in the humorous newspaper the Laughter.

Fontanez forms also part of the artists house of Delagrave, book publisher for children with the superb polychrome percaline boardings. It illustrated thus successively the works of Jules Chancel, author of novels of adventures for children, " The small Falconer of Louis XIII" or " Small Kitchen boy, large Musicien"

In 1909, Daniel Baud-Bovy request in Jules Fontanez to take part with other Swiss artists in the illustration of his book “Holidays of artists”.

In August 1914, when the First World War bursts, Fontanez goes back to Geneva. It carries out the cover of “the Festival of June” for the celebration of the centenary of the entry of Geneva in the Confederation (1814-1914) the photographs are of Frederic Boissonnas, friend of Bovy Baud.

In France, the authors and illustrators are put at contribution for exalter the patriotic heat. Fontanez continues its collaboration with Delagrave and then illustrates small Be and unpleasant Boche then the Class 1925

This same year, Fontanez struck by the disease, ceases painting and will live in his/her mother with the Pastures. Patient, blind, paralyzed, it spends his days in a wheel chair “dependant as a child on those which take care on him”.

January 21st, 1917 was inaugurated with the Athenaeum an exposure sale organized by friends of the artist seeking to come to him to assistance. Sixty-five fabrics are presented there. The Genevese press devoted many articles to it. The same year, the Museum of decorative Arts of Geneva published a strong water wallet.

Jules Fontanez dies on November 28th, 1918 at the 43 years age and was buried with the cemetery St George.

Its work

Draftsman, engraver, aquafortist, Fontanez strike by the diversity of his techniques.

It is by the caricature that it began. Quickly crunching all the scenes and characters who surround it, all is pretext to be drawn. Its caricature is full with spirit. However Fontanez, contrary to the other caricaturists, does not seem to have carried out drawings of topicality. The policy hardly seems to relate to it. Its preferred topics are the festival often putting in scene nice soaks and drunkards sympathetic nerves at staggering cheerfulness. Very seldom, its drawings relate to the temptation of the flesh. They did not dimension the tout of the drawings of some of its confer in particular “Mail”. It practices its gifts of observation on the small people in a style good child for which, because of his modest origins, it always kept a particular and understanding tenderness.

It there with the illustrator of masterly works like Gaspard of the Night or the Book of the masks but also that of books for children. Fontanez thus fully shows its art while passing from the most difficult topics to lightest, always by treating them in its quite personal style.

The painter

One can distinguish two periods although the fabrics are not dated, which is a constant at Fontanez.

The period dark, the first, made up essentially by landscapes, sights melancholic persons of Brittany or Paris but also including/understanding characters like Pierre and the Love or Evocation of Gilles. For one period that one can qualify transition, Fontanez will start to paint its favorite topic which it will not give up any more. They are scenes in the style of Antoine Watteau, with alert imagination, representing pastoral festivals in gardens with the Ours where appear marchionesses, Pierrot, Poles and Turks of Carnival but whose technique of painting remains very traditional.

Gradually, the characters become more luminous with the appearance of marchionesses or Pierrot to the clear colors, white, pink but the meadows and certain costumes remain dark. Finally the technique will evolve/move to become more modern and to lead to the clear period. The characters are animated by a light movement, the air is transparent and one believes to hear the laughter and the music.

The technique is connected with the pointillism. By small keys of let us tons pastel suaves, of blue and the tender pinks, of the liquid greens face bright white thus giving to the scenes a lively and spring aspect

Jules Fontanez was solicited to decorate several public places in Geneva. This decoration consisted primarily of long frescos painted on fabric. Thus it decorated the “Maxim' S”, a Genevese bar musicians avenue of the Email. It also decorated the Landolt Brewery, founded in 1885, located 2, rue de Candolle beside the University of Geneva. Decoration included/understood four tables: three tables referring to the student's life: the Round of the students, the Carnival of the students today disappeared and a portrait from a " Bellettrien" (studying in Letters) and the Climbing of 1602 representative a Genevese with a lantern. In 1999, the Brewery will be transformed into pizzeria and the only table which still appeared in it (the Round) will disappear as well as the table where Lénine was accustomed to sitting down, without one knowing what they became

Artist with the multiple talents, able as well to caricature a drunkard, as to illustrate books for children, showing a great control in the Fontanez features will always surprise us by the extent of his Article.

Books illustrated by Fontanez

Maurice Bars Of blood, pleasure, dead the Modern Library Arthème Beech 1910
Aloysius Bertrand Gaspard of the Night the book and the Print 1903
Jerome Doucet under the pseudonym of Montfrileux: the book of the Masks the book and the Print 1903

On Geneva and Switzerland:

Daniel Baud--Bovy Holidays of artists. Tessin, Were worth, Vaud, Geneva Geneva Soc. ED Sonor, 1909, in-4°.
Daniel Baud--Bovy, Malsch, Albert the festival of June. Patriotic spectacle. Centenary of the entry of Geneva in the Swiss confederation. 1814 - 1914. Geneva,
Pierre Duniton Figâsse and Duranpont Geneva beginning of the 20th century
Gorgibus coffees of aunt Julie Geneva, CH. Eggimann, without date about 1900.

Books for children

Jerome Doucet marvellous tales Felix Juven 1904
Henriette Bezançon Spot of ink and milk drop Delagrave 1903
Jules Chancel small mail of Louis XIII Delagrave 1909; Small kitchen boy, large musician Delagrave 1902
Emilio Salgari With the South pole with bicycle Delagrave 1910

At Dalegrave with the format with Italian the

Tony D' Ulmes the pension of the birds Delagrave 1910
Marthe Serrié-Heim small Be and unpleasant Boche Delagrave 1915
G the Rope-maker: The Class 1925

Jules Fontanez Eleven Etchings. Compositions and sketch. Geneva, Museum of Decorative Arts, 1917. 20 specimens

Works

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