Léon Comerre
Encyclopedia
Léon François Comerre was a French academic painter
, famous for his portraits of beautiful women.
, in the Département du Nord, the son of a schoolteacher. He moved to Lille
with his family in 1853. From an early age he showed an interest in art and became a student of Alphonse Colas
at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lille, winning a gold medal in 1867. From 1868 a grant from the Département du Nord allowed him to continue his studies in Paris at the famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts
in the studio of Alexandre Cabanel
. There he came under the influence of orientalism
.
Comerre first exhibited at the Paris Salon
in 1871 going on to win prizes there in 1875 and 1881. In 1875 he won the Grand Prix de Rome for his painting "L’Ange annonçant aux bergers la naissance du Christ" (The Angel announcing the birth of Christ to the shepherds). This led to a scholarship at the French Academy in Rome
from January 1876 to December 1879. In 1885 he won a prize at the "Exposition Universelle" in Antwerp. He also won prestigious art prizes in the USA (1876) and Australia (1881 and 1897). He became a Knight of the Legion of Honour
in 1903.
"L' Étoile" is considered as the most important work of Leon Comerre by his daughter, Madam J. Maillart - Norbert (George Comerre). It graces the cover of her book and catalogue raisonné of Comerre work "LEON COMERRE", published in 1980 by Les Presses Artistiques, Paris. This work has recently surfaced in the art market after being in a private collection for almost half a century.
He exhibited in London
at the Royal Academy
and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
, and in Glasgow
at the Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts
.
In 1884, he moved to Vésinet, a suburb of Paris, where he remained until his death in 1916.
His wife Jacqueline Comerre-Paton was also a painter. His nephew was the renowned artist Albert Gleizes
.
Academic art
Academic art is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which practiced under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism,...
, famous for his portraits of beautiful women.
Life
Comerre was born in TrélonTrélon
-References:*...
, in the Département du Nord, the son of a schoolteacher. He moved to Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
with his family in 1853. From an early age he showed an interest in art and became a student of Alphonse Colas
Alphonse Colas
Alphonse-Victor Colas was a French painter....
at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Lille, winning a gold medal in 1867. From 1868 a grant from the Département du Nord allowed him to continue his studies in Paris at the famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts
École des Beaux-Arts refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The most famous is the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, now located on the left bank in Paris, across the Seine from the Louvre, in the 6th arrondissement. The school has a history spanning more than 350 years,...
in the studio of Alexandre Cabanel
Alexandre Cabanel
Alexandre Cabanel was a French painter.- Biography :Cabanel was born in Montpellier, Hérault. He painted historical, classical and religious subjects in the academic style. He was also well known as a portrait painter...
. There he came under the influence of orientalism
Orientalism
Orientalism is a term used for the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers and artists, as well as having other meanings...
.
Comerre first exhibited at the Paris 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...
in 1871 going on to win prizes there in 1875 and 1881. In 1875 he won the Grand Prix de Rome for his painting "L’Ange annonçant aux bergers la naissance du Christ" (The Angel announcing the birth of Christ to the shepherds). This led to a scholarship at the French Academy in Rome
French Academy in Rome
The French Academy in Rome is an Academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio in Rome, Italy.-History:...
from January 1876 to December 1879. In 1885 he won a prize at the "Exposition Universelle" in Antwerp. He also won prestigious art prizes in the USA (1876) and Australia (1881 and 1897). He became a Knight of the Legion of Honour
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 1903.
"L' Étoile" is considered as the most important work of Leon Comerre by his daughter, Madam J. Maillart - Norbert (George Comerre). It graces the cover of her book and catalogue raisonné of Comerre work "LEON COMERRE", published in 1980 by Les Presses Artistiques, Paris. This work has recently surfaced in the art market after being in a private collection for almost half a century.
He exhibited in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
Royal Society of Portrait Painters
The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a British association of portrait painters which holds an annual exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London...
, and in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
at the Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts
Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts
The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts is an independent organisation in Glasgow, founded in 1861, which promotes contemporary art and artists in Scotland. It is the third largest organization of its kind in the United Kingdom...
.
In 1884, he moved to Vésinet, a suburb of Paris, where he remained until his death in 1916.
His wife Jacqueline Comerre-Paton was also a painter. His nephew was the renowned artist Albert Gleizes
Albert Gleizes
Albert Gleizes , was a French painter. Born Albert Léon Gleizes and raised in Paris, he was the son of a fabric designer who ran a large industrial design workshop...
.
Major works
- 1875: L'Annonce aux bergers
- 1878: Jézabel dévorée par les chiens
- 1878: Junon
- 1879: Le Lion amoureux
- 1880: Portrait de Jeune Fille
- 1881: Samson et Dalila
- 1882: Albine morte
- 1882: L' Étoile
- 1883: Silène et les Bacchantes
- 1883: Portrait de Mademoiselle Achille Fould
- 1884: Madeleine
- 1884: Pierrot
- 1888: Le Printemps, le Destin et l’Hiver (triptyque)
- 1903: À bicyclette au Vésinet
External links
- Biog of Leon Comerre (askart.com)
- Paintings by Leon Comerre (Art Renewal Center Museum)
- Biographie of Léon Comerre by Joseph Uzanne (in Figures contemporaines de Angelo MarianiAngelo MarianiAngelo Mariani or Ange-François Mariani was a French chemist, originally from the island of Corsica. He is best known as the inventor of the first cocawine, Vin Mariani, in 1863. His contribution was to introduce the coca leaf indirectly to the general public...
, Volume 8, Paris 1903).