Émile Friant (16 April 1863 – 9 June 1932) was a French artist. Friant was born in the commune of

Dieuze Dieuze (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. People Dieuze was the birthplace of: *Charles Hermite, mathematician * Edmond François Valentin About, novelist, publicist and journalist * Émile Friant, ...

. He would later be forced to flee to Nancy by the encroachment of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

's soldiers. He exhibited paintings throughout his lifetime at the

Paris Salon The Salon (french: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art ...

. Friant created works in charcoal, oil, and other media. He also used photographs to prepare finished paintings.

Early life

Friant was born in the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in 1863.Thomson 2004, p. 183 His father was a locksmith and mother a

dressmaker A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes custom clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and gown, evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua (clothing), mantua-makers, and are also known as a mod ...

. The wife of a

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe th ...

, Madame Parisot would hire the wife of Émile Friant's father to design custom clothing. The Parisots took an early interest in the young Friant and treated him maternally, as they were without children of their own.Hamerton, Philip Gilbert (1894)
Types Of Contemporary Painting. XII "Cast Shadows", Painted by Emile Friant
Scribner's Magazine 16: 675-678. In 1870, with the defeat of the

Second French Empire The Second French Empire (; officially the French Empire, ), was the 18-year Empire, Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 14 January 1852 to 27 October 1870, between the French Second Republic, Second and the French Third Republic ...

at hand as part of the then-ongoing Franco-Prussian War, annexation of Alsatia occurred and Dieuze was no longer under French state control. Intensely distressed by this, Monsieur Parisot intended to leave the commune for Nancy, but died shortly before having the chance. In 1871, Madame Parisot fled with Friant to Nancy; his biological family would follow later. Atelier-emile-friant-vers-1887

Friant was sent to the ''

lycée In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

'' to learn Latin, as Madame Parisot intended for him to follow in her husband's footsteps and become a chemist.McIntosh 1997, p. 1 Meanwhile, friends of his biological father had suggested sending him to a municipal school of art because of his skill with the brush. Because of his poor performance at the lycée, Friant requested permission to leave and focus on his art. His father agreed, and the young Friant was placed under the guide of a private tutor who would arrange his academic work so that time remained for painting. Under the guidance of

Louis-Théodore Devilly Louis-Théodore Devilly (28 October 1818, Metz24 December 1886, Nancy) was a French painter who specialized in military and Orientalist scenes; associated with the . Biography He came from a family of booksellers.André Bellard :"Laurent-Char ...

, director of a school in Nancy and a proponent of

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

,Villeneuve de Janti, C. 2016. Émile Friant (1863-1932), Le dernier naturaliste? Somogy éditions d’arts, Musée des Beaux Arts de Nancy. 208 p. Friant learned the art of

still life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, m ...

and

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

painting. Friant painted ''La Petite Barque'' at the age of 15. It was exhibited in Nancy and quickly became the center of public intrigue. The municipal council granted him permission to travel to Paris a year later. There, he studied under

Alexandre Cabanel Alexandre Cabanel (; 28 September 1823 – 23 January 1889) was a French painter. He painted historical, classical and religious subjects in the academic style. He was also well known as a portrait painter. According to ''Diccionario Enciclopedi ...

, who tutored him in creating

oil sketch An oil sketch or oil study is an artwork made primarily in oil paint in preparation for a larger, finished work. Originally these were created as preparatory studies or modelli, especially so as to gain approval for the design of a larger commissi ...

es of historical works. Friant, becoming disenchanted by the academic style of the

atelier method An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or v ...

, returned to Nancy where he worked with the painter Aimé Morot.

The Salon

In 1882, Aimé Morot encouraged him to debut two of his works at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

: ''The Prodigal Son'' and ''Studio Interior'', for which he received an honourable mention.E. Benezit, 1976. Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs. Volume 4, p. 524. Librairie Gründ. Paris, France. . The following year, Friant again presented at the Salon and took second place in the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

concours. In 1884 he received a third class medal at the Salon with his painting ''Un coin d'atelier'' and in 1885 a second-class medal. He would form a lasting friendship with the actors

Ernest Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman ...

and Benoit Coquelin. With the travel grant he received from the Salon of 1886, Friant traveled to and studied in the Netherlands. His portrait of the Coquelins' mother reflects the influence of that trip. In 1889 he exhibited his 1888 paintin
''La Toussaint''
at the Salon, for which he received a first prize. This painting depicts a revanchist patriotic image of a group of people visiting a cemetery in which the French victims of the Franco-Prussian War were buried.Fae Brauer, 2013. Rivals and Conspirators: The Paris Salons and the Modern Art Centre. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 457 p. He received a gold medal for the same painting at the Universal Exposition of 1889, as well as the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

. The painting was acquired by the State and added to the collection of the

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

and is now on permanent display in th
Musée des beaux-arts
in Nancy. He received a second gold medal from the jury at the Universal Exposition in 1900, where he exhibited five paintings includin
''La Discussion politique''
''Jours heureux'' an
''La Douleur''
F.-G. Dumas, 1881
Catalogue Officiel illustré de L'Exposition Décennale Des Beaux-arts de 1889 à 1900
L. Baschet, Ed. Imprimeries Lemercier et Cie, 346 p.

Later life

Friant was appointed a professor of painting in 1923 at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

in Paris, France, promoted to the position of commander in the

, and made a member of the

Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...

. In 1930 the art critic

Arsène Alexandre Arsène Alexandre (16 August 1859, Paris – 1 October 1937, Brain sur Allonnes) was a French art critic. He was a contributor to ''L'Événement'', ''Le Paris'' and ''L'Éclair'' and in 1894 was one of the founders of the satirical journal ''L ...

published a comprehensive review of the art of Friant.Alexandre, A. (1930). Emile Friant et son oeuvre. Published by Etablissement Braun & Cie, Mulhouse-Dornach (Haut-Rhin), 48 p., 62 pl. In 1932, Friant fell to his death in Paris.Mackintosh, C.R., 1997. Emile Friant: a forgotten realist of the gilded age. The Magazine Antiques 151(4), p. 585.

Paintings

*''Le travail du lundi'', 1884. Oil on wood panel.

Musée des beaux-arts de Nancy The Museum of Fine Arts of Nancy (french: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nancy), one of the oldest museums in France, is housed in one of the pavilions on Place Stanislas, in the heart of the 18th-century urban ensemble, a World Heritage Site by U ...

, France.
''Auto-portrait''
1885. Oil on panel.

, France.
''Jeune Nancéienne dans une paysage de neige''
(Young lady from Nancy in snow landscape), 1887. Oil on canvas, 46 x 37 cm.

, France.
Canotiers de la Meurthe''
(The Meurthe boating party), 1887.

Musée de l'École de Nancy The Musée de l'École de Nancy is a museum devoted to the École de Nancy, an Art Nouveau movement founded in 1901 by Émile Gallé, Victor Prouvé, Louis Majorelle, Antonin Daum and Eugène Vallin in the city of Nancy in Lorraine, north-eas ...

, France.
''La Toussaint''
(

All Saints' Day All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, the Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas, is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the church, whether they are know ...

), 1888. Oil on canvas, 254 x 334 cm.

, France.
''La discussion politique''
(political discussion), 1889. Oil on canvas.
''La Lutte''
(The fight), 1889. Oil on canvas.

Musée Fabre The Musée Fabre is a museum in the southern French city of Montpellier, capital of the Hérault ''département''. The museum was founded by François-Xavier Fabre, a Montpellier painter, in 1825. Beginning in 2003, the museum underwent a 61.2 m ...

, France.
''The Frugal Repast''
1894. *''Par lui-même'' (self-portrait). 1895. Oil on wood panel. Musée des beaux-arts de Nancy, France.
''La douleur''
(The sorrow), 1898. Oil on canvas.

, France. *''Femme avec un lion'' (Lady with lion). *''Portrait de M. Émile Hinzelin'', 1908. Musée d'art moderne et contemporain, Strasbourg, France. *''L'echo de la Forêt'',

Petit Palais The Petit Palais (; en, Small Palace) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...

, Paris, France. Exposed at the Salon de la Société nationale des Beaux-Arts, 1911. *''

Guillaume Dubufe Guillaume Édouard Marie Dubufe (16 May 1853, Paris – 25 May 1909, at sea, near Buenos Aires) was a French painter, decorator and illustrator. Biography His father Édouard was a painter and his mother Juliette Dubufe (the daughter of c ...

(1835-1909) à son chevalet'', no date.

Musée d'Orsay The Musée d'Orsay ( , , ) ( en, Orsay Museum) is a museum in Paris, France, on the Left Bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art ...

, Paris, France. *''L'oiseau blessé'', date unknown. Exhibited at the Salon de Paris. *''Les Amoureux'', Nancy, Musée des Beaux-Arts
''Marie Marvingt and her proposed air ambulance''
1914. Drawing on paper.
''Portrait de Jean Scherbeck''
1929. Drawing on paper.

References

Emile friant (1863-1932) drawing of Aime Morot, 1905

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Friant, Emile 1863 births 1932 deaths People from Dieuze French people of German descent 19th-century French painters French male painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists Prix de Rome for painting French Realist painters Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur 19th-century French male artists