Jean-Louis Hamon
Encyclopedia
Jean-Louis Hamon was a French
painter
.
He was born at Plouha
, in today's Côtes-d'Armor
département, in France
. At an early age he was intended for the priesthood, and placed under the care of the brothers Lamennais, but his strong desire to become a painter finally triumphed over family opposition, and in 1840 he left Plouha for Paris
—his sole resources being a pension of five hundred francs, granted him for one year only by the municipality of his native town.
At Paris Hamon received valuable advice and encouragement from Paul Delaroche and Charles Gleyre, and in 1848 he made his appearance at the Salon
with "Le Tombeau du Christ" (Musée de Marseille), and a decorative work, Dessus de Porte. The works which he exhibited in 1849 Une Affiche romaine, L'Egalité au sérail, and Perroquet jasant avec deux jeunes filles obtained no marked success.
His lack of success led Hamon to accept a job as a designree in the Sèvres
porcelein factory, but an enamelled
casket designed by him attracted notice at the London International Exhibition of 1851. He received a medal, and, inspired by his success, left his post to try his chances again at the Salon of 1852. "La Comédie humaine
", which he then exhibited, turned the tide of his fortune, and Ma sœur n'y est pas (purchased by the emperor Napoleon III
) obtained for its author a third-class medal in 1853. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1855
, when Hamon re-exhibited the casket of 1851, together with several vases and pictures of which L'Amour et son troupeau, Ce n'est pas moi, and Une Gardeuse d'enfants were the most important, he received a second class medal, and the ribbon of the legion of honor
.
In the following year he was absent in the East, and in 1857 he reappeared with Boutique à quatre sons, Papillon enchainé, Cantharicle esclave, Dévideuses, etc., in all ten pictures; L'Amtiur en visite was contributed to the Salon of 1859, and Vierge de Lesbos, Tutelle, La Volière, L'Escamoteur and La Sœeur ainée were all seen in 1861.
Hamon now spent some time in Italy
, chiefly at Capri
, whence in 1864 he sent to Paris L'Aurore and Un Jour de fiançailles. The influence of Italy was also evident in Les Muses a Pompei, his sole contribution to the Salon of 1866, a work which enjoyed great popularity and was re-exhibited at the International Exhibition of 1867
, together with, La Promenade and six other pictures of previous years. His last work, Le Triste Rivage, appeared at the Salon of 1873. It was painted at Saint-Raphaël
, where Hamon had finally settled in a little house on the shores of the Mediterranean, close by Alphonse Karr
's famous garden. In this house he died on the May 29, 1874.
A school in his home town of Plouha was named after him, and a monument was erected to him by the Blues of Brittany.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
.
He was born at Plouha
Plouha
Plouha is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Bretagne in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Plouha are called plouhatins.-International relations:Plouha is twinned with Killorglin located in County Kerry, Ireland....
, in today's Côtes-d'Armor
Côtes-d'Armor
Côtes-d'Armor is a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France.-History:Côtes-du-Nord was one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Brittany. Its name was changed in 1990 to...
département, in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. At an early age he was intended for the priesthood, and placed under the care of the brothers Lamennais, but his strong desire to become a painter finally triumphed over family opposition, and in 1840 he left Plouha for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
—his sole resources being a pension of five hundred francs, granted him for one year only by the municipality of his native town.
At Paris Hamon received valuable advice and encouragement from Paul Delaroche and Charles Gleyre, and in 1848 he made his appearance at the Salon
Paris Salon
The Salon , or rarely Paris Salon , beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world...
with "Le Tombeau du Christ" (Musée de Marseille), and a decorative work, Dessus de Porte. The works which he exhibited in 1849 Une Affiche romaine, L'Egalité au sérail, and Perroquet jasant avec deux jeunes filles obtained no marked success.
His lack of success led Hamon to accept a job as a designree in the Sèvres
Sèvres
Sèvres is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.The town is known for its porcelain manufacture, the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, making the famous Sèvres porcelain, as well as being the location of the International Bureau of Weights...
porcelein factory, but an enamelled
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
casket designed by him attracted notice at the London International Exhibition of 1851. He received a medal, and, inspired by his success, left his post to try his chances again at the Salon of 1852. "La Comédie humaine
La Comédie humaine
La Comédie humaine is the title of Honoré de Balzac's multi-volume collection of interlinked novels and stories depicting French society in the period of the Restoration and the July Monarchy .-Overview:...
", which he then exhibited, turned the tide of his fortune, and Ma sœur n'y est pas (purchased by the emperor Napoleon III
Napoleon III of France
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte...
) obtained for its author a third-class medal in 1853. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1855
Exposition Universelle (1855)
The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was an International Exhibition held on the Champs-Elysées in Paris from May 15 to November 15, 1855. Its full official title was the Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855.The exposition was a major...
, when Hamon re-exhibited the casket of 1851, together with several vases and pictures of which L'Amour et son troupeau, Ce n'est pas moi, and Une Gardeuse d'enfants were the most important, he received a second class medal, and the ribbon of the legion of honor
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
In the following year he was absent in the East, and in 1857 he reappeared with Boutique à quatre sons, Papillon enchainé, Cantharicle esclave, Dévideuses, etc., in all ten pictures; L'Amtiur en visite was contributed to the Salon of 1859, and Vierge de Lesbos, Tutelle, La Volière, L'Escamoteur and La Sœeur ainée were all seen in 1861.
Hamon now spent some time in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, chiefly at Capri
Capri
Capri is an Italian island in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples, in the Campania region of Southern Italy...
, whence in 1864 he sent to Paris L'Aurore and Un Jour de fiançailles. The influence of Italy was also evident in Les Muses a Pompei, his sole contribution to the Salon of 1866, a work which enjoyed great popularity and was re-exhibited at the International Exhibition of 1867
Exposition Universelle (1867)
The Exposition Universelle of 1867 was a World Exposition held in Paris, France, in 1867.-Conception:In 1864, Emperor Napoleon III decreed that an international exposition should be held in Paris in 1867. A commission was appointed with Prince Jerome Napoleon as president, under whose direction...
, together with, La Promenade and six other pictures of previous years. His last work, Le Triste Rivage, appeared at the Salon of 1873. It was painted at Saint-Raphaël
Saint-Raphaël, Var
Saint-Raphaël is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies another, older, town called Fréjus, and together they form an urban agglomeration known as Fréjus Saint-Raphaël...
, where Hamon had finally settled in a little house on the shores of the Mediterranean, close by Alphonse Karr
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr
Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr was a French critic, journalist, and novelist. His brother Eugène was a talented engineer, and his aunt Carme Karr was a writer, journalist and suffragist in La Roche-Mabile....
's famous garden. In this house he died on the May 29, 1874.
A school in his home town of Plouha was named after him, and a monument was erected to him by the Blues of Brittany.