Pierre Puvis de Chavannes

Pierre Cecile Puvis de Chavannes, born with Lyon the December 14th 1824 and died in Paris the October 24th 1898, is a painter French innovative and precursor of the movements which were going to bring the modern art.

Biography

Pierre Cécile Puvis de Chavannes was born on December 14th, 1824, in a family resulting from the Lyons upper middle class. He receives a traditional and traditional education before turning to painting. After studies of rhetoric and philosophy to the College Henri-Iv of Paris, it goes on a first journey in Italy, then starts to study painting near Henry Scheffer. It makes then a second stay in Italy and briefly studies near Eugene Delacroix, then in the workshop of Thomas Couture, it is marked by the great murals of Theodore Chassériau that this one with carried out for the staircase of the Court of Auditors between 1844 and 1848 (destroyed in 1871). It finds truly its way only at age the thirty years by carrying out the decoration of the dining room country residence of his brother ( the Four seasons, the Return of the prodigal son ). Its beginnings with the Living room were difficult. It was, several times, refused and when finally it exposes, it is severely criticized. Then, in 1861, it gains the first success with the War and Peace . The first will be bought by the French State; Puvis will offer the second, supplemented in 1863 by the Rest and Work , and in 1865 by Ave Picardy nutrix , then fifteen years later by Ludus pro Patria . This exceptional decoration on the set of themes plan and stylistics is representative of the innovative treatment that Puvis brings to the allegorical kind of which it becomes at fine the end of the nineteenth century more shining the representative. It settles with Pigalle, where it undoubtedly remains until its marriage in 1897 with the Rumanian princess Marie Cantacuzène, that it meets in 1856, in the workshop of the painter Theodore Chassériau of which it was the friend. She had a considerable influence on him, becoming her partner, her collaborator, her inspirer. It makes some in 1883 a very beautiful portrait, now visible with the Musée of the Art schools of Lyon. She is used to him also as model for: the Salome of Decapitation of Saint-Jean-Baptist , Radegonde of the Town hall of Poitiers , the Holy-Genevieve of the Pantheon, etc Puvis de Chavannes carried out large mural decorations: with the Longchamp Palate with Marseilles (1867-1869), with the Town hall of Poitiers (1870 - 1875), with the Town hall of Paris (1887-1894), at the Public library of Boston (1881-1896). To this is added three exceptional units, that of the the Pantheon in Paris where it treats life of Sainte Genevieve (1874-1878) and (1893-1898); the decoration of the staircase of the Museum of Lyon (1884-1886) with the Wood crowned expensive in Arts and the Muses supplemented by ancient Vision and Christian Inspiration and two figures representing the Rhone and the Saone, and finally the large decoration of the amphitheater from the Sorbonne in Paris (1886-1889) which develops the topic of the Bois crowned . Each one of these decorations gives place to studies, copies, counterparts, paperboards preparatory which popularize the work of Puvis in particular abroad. By this immense decorative work, but also with tables of rest of an innovative symbolism, it conquers the admiration of a whole generation, influencing not only the idealists such as Odilon Redon, Henri Martin, Alphonse Osbert, Alexandre Séon, Emile-Rene Ménard or Ary Renan, but also the Nabis, Gauguin, Seurat, Maurice Denis, and even the young person Picasso of which number of later works are indebted for him. In 1890, it remelts with Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier and Auguste Rodin the National company of the Art schools, of which he is successively vice-president and president (following the death of Mr. Meissonier). Named chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1867, officer in 1877 then commander in 1889. It obtained the medal of honor in 1882.

Puvis de Chavannes had inter alia as pupils Anna Kirstine Ancher, Charles Cottet, Eugen and Marcel Paul Meys.

Following a disease it deceased on October 24th, 1898 at 6 p.m. (two months after the death of its wife Marie Cantacuzène).

Some works in the museums…

Marie-madeleine , 1897, oil on fabric, 116,5 X 89,5 cm, museum of the Art schools of Budapest.
the gardeuse one of goats , 1893, oil on fabric, 86 X 54 cm, Mâcon, Museum of the Ursulines.
Soft Country , 1882,230 X 428 cm, Bayonne, Bonnat Museum.

Paris, Museum of Orsay.

- the Dream , 1883, oil knew fabric, 82 X 102 cm
- the poor fisherman , 1881, oil knew fabric, 155,5 X 192,5 cm
- the young mother or Charity , about 1887, oil on fabric, 56 X 47 cm
- Seen on the castle of Versailles and the Orangery , 1871, oil on fabric, 32,5 X 46,3 cm
- the Hope , 1871-1872, oil on fabric, 70,5 X 82 cm
- Young girls at the edge of the sea , 1879, oil on fabric, 205 X 154 cm
- the Pigeon , 1871, oil on fabric, 136,7 X 86,5 cm
- the Balloon , 1870, oil on fabric, 136,7 X 86,5 cm
- the Toilet , 1883, oil on fabric, 75 X 63 cm, oils on fabric, 136,7 X 86,5 cm
- Saint-Sebastien , 1824, oil on fabric, 61,5 X 51 cm
- Meditation , 1866, oil on fabric, 271 X 104 cm
- the History , oil on fabric, 271 X 104
- Vigilance , oil on fabric, 271 X 104

Return of Hunting , 1859,345 X 295 cm, Museum of the Art schools of Marseilles.
Orphée , 1896, oil on fabric, 67 X 46,5 cm, Oslo, Nasjonalgalleriet.
Homère (epic Poetry) , 1896, oil on fabric, 126 X 62 cm, Boston, Museum off Fine Arts.
the Summer , 1891, oil on fabric, 150 X 232 cm, Cleveland, museum off Article
the Bathers , about 1890, oil on fabric, 55,4 X 35,5 cm, Toronto, Art Gallery off Ontario.
Young girls and death, 1872, oil on fabric, 146 X 105 cm, Williamstown, Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute.

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