Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904)

The little art seeker saw the beautiful exhibition dedicated to the French painter Henri Fantin-Latour at the musée du Luxembourg in Paris.

We have all in mind , the name of this painter because of his huge paintings dedicated to the new creators of the 19 th century: poets and painters who want to represent new trends in art and will be later associated with new forms of modernity:Manet , Monet , but also Delacroix and Baudelaire and Verlaine will be at the heart of his huge creations that can still be admired in Orsay on the floor dedicated to the Impressionists.

Homage to Delacroix.1864.Fantin Latour

A studio at les Batignolles.1870.Fantin Latour

But let’s go back to the man himself.He’s a lonely artist in a world where artists like to belong to schools of creation.

A little bit at the margins ,he loves to have a style of his own and says about it:”Art asks for every sacrifice , art is outside of life.”

As a young man Fantin Latour spent hours in the Louvre ,copying the great masters .

His first models are his two sisters that he represents in a rather austere way.The reading.1871.Fantin Latour

After a failure at the salon in 1859, as a young painter ,he joins the artist James Whistler in London and meets the art dealer Edwin Edwards who will be his merchant contributing to make his painting familiar to the English collectors.

Fantin Latour realized most of his works between 1864 and 1872.

In England his still lifes meet a great success and give him a certain glory amid the English Collectors.

Though he ‘s rather sucessful in England , Latour decides to remain in Paris because “Paris is artistic freedom….You can’t sell anything but you have people who are freely searching ,fighting and applauding”does he write to Edwards his art dealer during their prolific correspondence.

Fantin drew a great success with a studio to the Batignolles in 1870 and “the coin de table”in 1872 where he gave us a touching portrait of Verlaine and Rimbaud.

In the 1870’s years where Paris had to face the difficult episode of the Commune, he married a young still life painter named Victoria Dubourg.

He remained faithful to his working methods and realized a series of portraits of his family and friends but also some commissioned one which though being rather austere met an honorable success .

Mr and Mrs Edwin Edwards

Fantin Latour was also a painter who drew a lot of inspiration in the world of music .

In 1876, he realized a monumental work which is presented in the exhibition and is called “the birthday”.

This huge canvas pays a tribute to the work of the great composer Berlioz .

This work was a turning point in his career and further on , imagination will become the essential source of inspiration for the artist.

Latour has also a great admiration for Wagner and will devote a series of his works to illustrate the music of the german composer.

Fantin Latour”l’anniversaire”.1876

Fantin Latour :l’or du Rhin

From 1890 ,Fantin Latour will only display his imaginative paintings at the Salon , but will continue to paint still lifes.

Music and fantasy with mythology will be at the heart of the creations of a painter who had enough skill to end his career in worlds of pure fantasy.

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