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Jules Joseph Lefebvre Biography
French Academic painter
born 14 March 1836 - died 24 February 1911
Lefèbvre was born on March 14th, 1836.
Though his father was only a baker, Jules
Joseph Lefèbvre nonetheless encouraged his son to pursue
painting, sending him to study in Paris in
1852. There, Lefèbvre became a pupil of Léon
Cogniet and a year later started attending
the École des Beaux Art. His debut at the
Paris Salon was in 1855. Jules Joseph
Lefèbvre then spent the
next few years pursuing the coveted Prix de
Rome (the main competition for young
painters, which would win him five years of
study in Rome and a reputation that would
all but guarantee a successful career). In
1859 Jules Joseph Lefèbvre came close, placing second. Two
years later the history painting The Death
of Priam would win him first place. |
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It would be during his stay in Rome that
Jules Joseph Lefèbvre would find his individual artistic niche.
Able to study the great Italian masters,
Lefèbvre was fascinated by the Mannerist
painters, especially Andrea del Sarto. The painter copied Jules Joseph Lefebvre painting avidly and demonstrated
Andrea’s influence in his painting Boy
Painting a Tragic Mask (1863)[2]. It was
also during this time that his interest in
the female girl body began, painting his first in
1863. Among other Jules Joseph Lefebvre paintings he did in Rome, Jules Joseph Lefèbvre sent the narrative Roman Charity to the
salon of 1864 and painted Cornelia, Mother
of the Gracchi in 1866. The latter
narrative, however, was ill received by
experts, arousing overwhelming criticism.
That same year his parents and one of his
sisters died. These negative events in both
his personal and professional life sent him
into severe depression.[2]
Jules Joseph Lefebvre emerged from his depression and came back
to Paris with a different approach to art
and a change of interest in subject matter.
Jules Joseph Lefèbvre apparently became disenchanted with the
traditional formulaic approach to painting,
instead turning towards more precise
rendering from life.[2] In 1868 Jules Joseph
Lefèbvre exhibited
a Reclining girl body at the Salon, which unlike
last significant Jules Joseph Lefebvre painting, won him much
praise.[2] Two years later, his allegory of
Truth became his first great success.[1] A
beautiful young woman holds up a mirror (the
conventional symbol of truth). This symbol,
though, is at the very top of the painting,
so, in order to get to it one’s eye has to
caress the sensuous feminine curves over the
length of the outstretched figure. Shortly
after the success of this girl body, Jules Joseph
Lefèbvre was made
an officer in the Legion of Honor. |
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