Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ

Lecomte du Nouÿ, photographed by Nadar

Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouÿ (born June 10, 1842 in Paris , France ; † February 19, 1923 there ) was a French history , genre and portrait painter and sculptor. He became known for mythological and religious motifs as well as for his works associated with orientalism .

Life

Lecomte du Nouÿ, son of Jules Michel Lecomte and his wife Félicité Alexandrine du Nouÿ and older brother of the future architect André Lecomte du Nouÿ (1844–1914), was successively a pupil of Charles Gleyre (1806–1874), Émile Signol (1804–1892) ) and Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824–1904). With the painting Francesca da Rimini and Paolo in Hell , he made his debut in 1863 at the Paris Salon , in which he regularly participated in the following years. In 1866, at the age of 24, he won a Medal of Honor from the Paris Salon for The Invocation of Neptune and the 2nd Grand Prix de Rome in 1872 for the death of Jokaste .

In 1872 the French government bought his painting The Messenger of Bad News before Pharaoh for the Luxembourg Museum, in 1873 the magician for the Musée des beaux-arts in Reims, in 1874 the Eros-Cupido for the Musée des beaux-arts in Tours. In 1873, together with the Paris City Council, she commissioned Lecomte de Nouy to decorate the La Trinité church in Paris , which the artist supplied a few years later: Saint Vincent converts the galley convicts (1876) and Saint Vincent supported the Alsatians and Lorraineurs after the war of 1637 (1879).

He toured Greece and Turkey (1875), later Egypt and Romania.

Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ died in Paris in 1923 at the age of 80.

The conservative, Catholic painter had married Valentine Peigné-Crémieux (1855–1876), daughter of Alfred Peigne and Mathilde Crémieux (1834–1912) and granddaughter of Senator Adolphe Crémieux, as his first marriage on August 1, 1876 . Valentine died on October 15 of the same year at the age of 21, but du Nouÿs' connection with the influential relatives of his late wife, including Jean Cruppi , remained. His second marriage was with Caroline Evrard (1851-1892), who gave him his only child, the later architect and archaeologist Jacques Théodore Jules Lecomte du Nouÿ ( 1885-1981 ). His third wife, Térésa Marie Fisanne or Fizanne (* 1892) survived him.

honors and awards

• 1866: Medal of Honor from the Paris Salon for the Invocation of Neptune (1866)
• 1872: 2nd Prix de Rome for The Death of Iokaste (1871)
• Knight of the 1876 Legion of Honor appointed
• A street in Paris has been named after him since 1932.

Exhibitions

Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ showed his works from 1863 and with a few exceptions, some of which can be explained by his travels, with astonishing regularity in the annual Paris Salon, occasionally also in the salons of other cities (Munich, Gent, Vienna). He participated in the Paris World's Fair of 1878 and 1889. From 1892 to 1894 he also exhibited in Egypt (Salons of Cairo and Alexandria), from 1902 to 1906 also in the Salon of the Automobile Club in Paris and in 1913 in the Salon des artistes françaises. In 2004, the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York dedicated the exhibition “From Homer to the Harem: the art of Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ” to Lecomte du Nouy with around 100 paintings, studies and drawings.

Demosthenes practices speaking (1870)

The opium smoker

plant

All of Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ's work is characterized by academic tradition and his training at the Paris Ecole des Beaux Arts, where his last teacher, Jean-Léon Gérôme, had a great influence on the young artist. This and his colleague Charles Gleyre, also a teacher of du Nouÿs, were the main representatives of the neo-Greek art movement, which Lecomte de Nouÿ also joined.

Apart from numerous biblical themes, the motifs of his first paintings were inspired, for example, by the Divine Comedy by Dante ( Francesca and Paolo in Hell , 1863), by the tragedies Orestie von Aeschylus ( The Greek Sentinel , 1865) and Aias von Sophocles ( The Frenzy Ajax ' , 1868) as well as personalities such as Demosthenes ( Demosthenes practices speaking , 1870) or Homer ( Homer as a beggar , 1875). Another source of inspiration for the educated and well-read painter was texts such as Théophile Gautier's “Roman de la Momie” ( The Messenger of Bad News , 1872) or Montesquieu's “ Lettres persanes ” ( Chosroes Dream , 1875), and not least his travels. In the 1890s he increasingly turned to sophisticated portrait painting. During a longer stay in Romania, he portrayed members of the Romanian royal family and created numerous portrait studies of Charles I of Romania and his wife Elisabeth (pseudonym Carmen Silva) as well as cardboard boxes for the decoration of the Church of St. Nicholas in Iași .

Lecomte du Nouÿ's paintings, with correct drawing and cool, somewhat matt coloring, have a predominantly academic trait, but are distinguished by their fine characteristics. One of his well-known works is " The White Slave ".

painting

• 1862: Portrait du sculpteur Antoine Coysevox (portrait of the sculptor Antoine Coysevox), oil on canvas, Lyon , Musée des beaux-arts
• 1863: Francesca di Rimini et Paolo aux enfers (Francesca da Rimini and Paolo in Hell), Paris Salon 1863, oil on canvas, Sète , Musée Paul Valéry
• 1865: La sentinelle grecque (The Greek Sentinel), Paris Salon 1865, oil on canvas, Lille?
• 1866: Invocation de Neptune (The Invocation of Neptune ), Medal of Honor of the Paris Salon 1866, oil on canvas, Lille , Musée des beaux-arts
• 1867: Job et ses amis ( Job and his friends), Paris Salon 1867
• 1867: Une danseuse fellah - Egypte (A fellah dancer - Egypt)
• 1868: La folie d'Ajax le Télamonien (The frenzy of Ajax 'des Talmoniers)
• 1869: L'amour qui passe, l'amour qui reste (The ephemeral and the lasting love), oil on canvas, Boulogne-sur-Mer , museum
• 1869: Le souper de Beaucaire (The Supper in Beaucaire), oil on canvas, Malmaison Castle
• 1869: Portrait de Mademoiselle ET (Portrait of Mademoiselle ET), Paris Salon 1869, oil on canvas, Lille, Musée des beaux-arts
• 1870: Le Charmeur (The Magician), oil on canvas, Reims , Musée des beaux-arts
• 1870: Démosthène s'exerçant à la parole ( Demosthenes practices speaking), private property
• 1871: Chrétiennes au tombeau de la Vierge - Jérusalem New York , Dahesh museum of Art
• 1871: Les porteurs de mauvaises nouvelles (The messengers of bad news before Pharaoh), Paris Salon 1872, oil on canvas, Tunisia, Tunis , Ministry of Culture
• 1871: La mort de Jocaste or Les adieux d'Oedipe à Jocaste (The Death of Jokaste ), Paris World Exhibition 1878 , 2nd Grand Prix de Rome (1871), oil on canvas, formerly in Arras, Musée des beaux-arts, 1915 destroyed in a fire
• 1873: Le philosophe sans le savoir (The philosopher against knowledge), oil on canvas, USA, Worcester , Worcester art museum (loan from Clark University , Worcester)
• 1873: Eros-Cupido (Eros-Cupido), Paris Salon 1874, oil on canvas, Tours , Musée des beaux arts
• 1874: Un rêve d'eunuque (The Eunuch's Dream), oil on canvas, Cleveland , Cleveland museum of art
• 1874: Les Bouchers de Venise (The Butchers of Venice), Paris Salon 1974,
• 1875: Le songe de Cosrou ( Chosroe's Dream), Paris Salon 1875
• 1875: Judith ( Judith ), oil on wood, New York, Dahesh museum of art
• 1875: Homère mendiant ( Homer as a beggar), triptych, Paris Salon 1876, Paris World's Fair 1878 , oil on wood, Grenoble , museum
• 1875: Portrait de Mademoiselle Valentine Peigné-Crémieux (Portrait of Mademoiselle Valentine Peigné-Crémieux), drawing, (Paris Salon 1877?)
• 1876: Portrait de Mademoiselle Henriette Peigné-Crémieux (Portrait of Mademoiselle Henriette Peigné-Crémieux), drawing, (Paris Salon 1877?)
• 1876: Saint Vincent de Paul ramène des galériens à la foi (Saint Vincent de Paul converts the galley convicts), oil on canvas, Paris, Église de la Sainte Trinté, Saint Vincent de Paul Chapel
• 1876: La Porte du sérail. Paris Salon 1877, oil on canvas, Paris, Yves Saint-Laurent - Pierre Bergé Collection
• 1877: Portrait de l'artiste (self-portrait), Paris Salon 1877, World Exhibition 1878
• 1877: Les chrétiennes aux tombeau de la Vierge - Jerusalem (Christians at the Tomb of the Virgin - Jerusalem), Paris Salon 1878, USA, Minneapolis , Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church
• 1878: Portrait d'Adolphe Crémieux, sénateur (portrait of Senator Adolphe Crémieux ), Paris Salon 1878, oil on canvas, Paris, Musée d'art et d'histoire du Judaïsme (on loan from the Musée d'Orsay)
• 1879: Saint Vincent de Paul secourant les Alsaciens et les Lorrains après la guerre de 1637 (Saint Vincent de Paul supports the Alsatians and Lorraine after the war of 1637), Paris Salon 1879, oil on canvas, Paris, Église de la Sainte Trinté, Saint Vincent de Paul chapel
• 1880: Portrait de l'artiste (Self-Portrait), oil on canvas, Florence , Uffizi
• 1881: Homère (Homer), Paris Salon 1882, oil on canvas, Grenoble, museum
• 1881: Autoportrait (self-portrait), oil on canvas, Moulins , Musée Anne de Beaujeu
• 1882: Les rabbins commentant la bible - Maroc (The rabbis comment on the Bible), Paris Salon 1882, oil on canvas, London , Guildhall art gallery
• 1883: Le Marabout prophète Sidi-Aissa - Tangier. Paris Salon 1884, oil on canvas, private property
• 1883/84: Polyptyque on the work of Victor Hugo , formerly in Caen , museum, destroyed in 1944:

1883: Les travailleurs de la mer (The workers of the sea), Paris Salon 1884

1884: Les Orientales , Paris Salon 1885

1884: Les Contemplations , Polyptyque, third part, Paris Salon 1885

• 1885: La Vision d'Abraham (The Vision of Abraham ), Paris Salon 1888, Bucharest , Museum
• 1885: Le samedi au quartier juif or Le samedi au ghetto - Maroc , Paris Salon 1889
• 1885/86: Ramsès dans son harème (Ramses in his harem), triptych

1885: Les échecs - Ancienne Egypte (The Chess Game - Ancient Egypt), Paris Salon 1887, Paris World Exhibition 1889 ,

1886: Musique (music)

1886: Danse (dance)

• 1887: Autoportrait (self-portrait), oil on canvas, Grenoble, museum
• 1888: Les gardes-côtes gaulois - Ancienne Gaule. Paris Salon 1889, oil on canvas, Paris, Musée d'Orsay
• 1888: L'esclave blanche (The White Slave), Paris Salon 1888, Paris World's Fair 1889 , Nantes Art Museum
• 1888: Autoportrait au chevalet (self-portrait with easel), oil on canvas, Vic-sur-Seille , Musée départemental Georges de la Tour
• 1890: Le dieu et la mortelle (The God and the Mortal), part of a triptych dedicated to the composer Gounod on the theme of love, Paris Salon 1891
• 1892: Pour la patrie or Mourir pour la patrie (For the fatherland, or to die for the fatherland), Paris Salon 1892, Angers , Musée des beaux-arts
• 1894: Portrait de Me Jean Cruppi, avocat à la cour de cassation (Portrait of Jean Cruppi , lawyer at the Court of Appeal), Paris Salon 1895
• 1894: La premère étoile ou la fin du grand jeune - Tanger (The First Star), Paris Salon 1895, oil on canvas
• 1897: Portrait de SAR la princesse Feodora de Saxe-Meiningen
• 1897: Carmen Sylva écoutant les voix de la forêt or Portrait de SM la rein Elisabeth de Roumanie (Carmen Silva, listening to the voices of the forest, portrait of Queen Elisabeth of Romania ), oil on canvas, Paris Salon 1899, Sinaia , Peleș Castle
• 1899: La dictée d'Austerlitz - 1805 (Das Diktat von Austerlitz - 1805), Salon de Paris, oil on canvas, Switzerland, private property
• 1899: Portrait du roi et de la reine de Roumanie
• 1866/1902 (!): Mademoiselle de Maupin. Paris Salon 1902, oil on canvas
• 1901: Tristesse de Pharaon. Salon de Paris 1901
• 1901: Le Rabbin (The Rabbi), Salon de Paris 1904
• 1904: La Sorcière. Paris Salon 1904
• 1904: Rêve d'Orient , Paris Salon 1905, oil on canvas
• 1904: Pensées fugitives. Paris Salon 1905
• 1912: Alexandre au tombeau d'Achille (Alexander at the tomb of Achillus), Paris Salon 1912
• 1912: Le philosophe or Diogens in his bin (The Philosopher), Paris Salon 1912, oil on canvas
• 1913: Les dernières rondes turqes - Constantinople or La dernière ronde turque , Paris Salon 1913
• 1918: Les veilleurs de la grande cité. Paris Salon 1919 and 1923
• 1918: Le bombardement de l'église St. Gervais le Vendredi Saint 1918 (The bombing of the Saint-Gervais church on Good Friday 1918), Paris Salon 1920
• 1920: L'impériale destinée - Napoléon à Saint-Hélène (The imperial fate - Napoléon I in Saint Helena), Paris Salon 1921
• 1921: Larmes d'Orient (Tears of the Orient), dedicated to Pierre Loti , Paris Salon 1921
• ???: L'arbre mort , Narbonne, Musée d'art et d'histoire
• ???: L'écrivain public (Tangier) , Narbonne, Musée d'art et d'histoire
• ???: La prière du soir à Abderaman (Alger)

Sculptural work

• 1877: Statue de Valentine Lecomte du Nouÿ (Statue of Valentine Lecomte du Nouy) for her tomb, Paris, Cimetière du Montparnasse
• 1877: Portrait de Valentine Lecomte du Nouÿ (Portrait of Valentine Lecomte du Nouy), marble medallion, Paris Salon 1877. There is also an engraving, an execution in clay and the bronze version on the tomb in Paris on the Cimetière du Montparnasse is located.
• 1894: Médaillon de Caroline du Nouÿ (Medallion of Caroline de Nouy), marble, Paris Salon 1895
• 1897: Stèle commémorative en souvenir de la visite de SM l'empereur d'Autriche François-Joseph en Roumanie (memorial stele in memory of the visit of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria to Romania), bronze
• 1900: Pour la liberté - Dédié aux enfants de Paris (For freedom, dedicated to the children of Paris), marble, Salon de Paris 1901, Brussels , Musée de l'armée
• 1908: Monument du Prince Barbo Stirbey (Fürst-Barbu-Știrbey-Monument), bronze group and bronze reliefs, Paris Salon 1908
• 1913: Le divin chanteur - Orphée (The Divine Singer - Orpheus), marble group, Salon des artistes français 1913, Versailles, Hôtel de Ville
• 1913: Portrait du prince Barbo Stirbey (Portrait of Prince Barbu Știrbey ), bronze bust, Salon des artistes français 1913

literature

• Roger Diederen: From Homer to the Harem: The Art of Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ. Dahesh Museum of Art, New York 2004, ISBN 0-9654793-2-3 . (including catalog raisonné)

Web links

Commons : Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Jean Lecomte du Noüy (1842-1923): A biographical overview (English)
• Catalog raisonné of works by Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ (English, French)
• Diana Michelle Fox: The Artistic Vision of Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ at www.archaeology.org (English)
• From Homer to the harem: the art of Jean Lecomte du Noüy, in USA Today, September 1, 2004 (English)