Leon-auguste lhermitte, sa vie, son oeuvre. Catalogue des peintures, pastels, dessins et gravures
Institution:
Paris 4Disciplines:
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Abstract EN:
Leon lhermitte, french painter, pastellist, draughtsman and printmaker, was born in mont-saint-pere in 1844 and died in paris in 1925. A student of lecoq de boisbaudran, he perpetuated certain aspects of the barbizon school, of corot, and of breton. From 1864 to 1889 he exhibited religious subjects and depictions of peasant life at the salon des artistes francais. His representations of peasant life became predominant after the success of his la paye des moissonneurs, and following the death of bastien-lepage. Supported by his friend cazin, he became a member of the societe nationale des beaux-arts in 1890 and participated in its annual exhibitions until his death. Known at the beginning of his career for his charcoal drawings and hailed as one of the masters of the exhibition "blanc et noir", lhermitte abandoned this medium in 1886 for pastel, very much in vogue at the end of the 19th century. Throughout his career, the artist received numerous honors, distinctions, and official commissions. Celebrated during his lifetime because his art was supported by the salon jury and by the public, lhermitte took advantage of the success of realism and the rural themes developed principally by millet, and from the image that successive governments wanted to give to the peasant, symbol of work and family values. He was one of the representatives of the official art of the third republique, which by its anecdotal qualities and attention to detail provides a knowledge of the material existence and daily rustic life of rural france before the era of industrialization. Lhermitte participated in the grand current of naturalism of the 1880s that predominated in numerous european countries during the period. If his pictorial production lacks quality in certain respects, his charcoals and certain of his pastels can be appreciated anew for their aesthetic quality.
Abstract FR:
Leon lhermitte, dessinateur, pastelliste, peintre et graveur francais, nait a mont-saint-pere en 1844 et meurt en 1925. Eleve de lecoq de boisbaudran, continuateur par certains cotes de l'ecole de barbizon, de corot et breton, il expose de 1864 a 1889 au salon des artistes francais des sujets religieux et paysans. Ce dernier theme devient predominant apres son succes de la paye des moissonneurs et la mort de bastien-lepage. Entraine par son ami cazin, il devient des 1890 membre de la societe nationale des beaux arts, qui organise des expositions annuelles auxquelles il participera jusqu'a sa mort. Connu tout d'abord par ses fusains, signale comme un des maitres du blanc et noir, lhermitte abandonne cette technique a laquelle il substitue, apres 1886, le pastel, tres en vogue a la fin du xixeme siecle. Sa vie est entouree d'honneurs, de distinctions, de commandes officielles. Tres celebres de son vivant, car son art repose sur l'adhesion du jury du salon et du public, lhermitte profite du succes du realisme et des themes campagnards developpes principalement par millet et de l'image que les gouvernements successifs veulent donner du paysan, symbole de travail et de morale familiale. Il est un des representants de la peinture officielle de la iiieme republique qui, par son anecdotisme et son souci de tout decrire, permet d'avoir une connaissance de la vie materielle et de nombreux aspects de la vie quotidienne et rustique avant l'industrialisation de la france rurale. Lhermitte participe a ce grand courant naturaliste des annees 1880 que l'on retrouve a cette epoque dans bon nombre de pays europeens. Si sa production picturale manque de qualite, ses fusains et certains de ses pastels sont a redecouvrir pour leur qualite esthetique.