Alexandre Rachmiel (1835–1918) was a French-born painter who later settled in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, working from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

State and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

as well as

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Born in Alsace-Lorraine, France, in 1835, he is mainly noted for his sensitively-depicted landscapes. His early artistic education was in France, where he was schoolmate of

Jean-Jacques Henner Jean-Jacques Henner (5 March 1829 – 23 July 1905) was a French painter, noted for his use of sfumato and chiaroscuro in painting nudes, religious subjects and portraits. Biography Henner was born at Bernwiller (Alsace). He began his stud ...

. When the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

broke out, Rachmiel found it necessary to immigrate to America, which he did in 1870. After arriving in New York, Rachmiel soon met and married Sarah Parker Scott, a widow with four daughters. The family settled in Haverstraw-on-Hudson. Their son, Jean Rachmiel, who was born in May 1871, would follow in his father's artistic footsteps, and has been called the "American

Millet Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...

." Rachmiel schooled his son in drawing and painting, and was a strict disciplinarian and critic, as well as a sympathetic friend to his son. In 1887 he sent Jean to New York to study at the Art Students League, and after three years of coursework, Rachmiel sent Jean to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. Throughout these years, Rachmiel continued to paint. In 1895, he joined his son in Paris, where Jean was studying with

Léon Bonnat Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (; 20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur, art collector and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Early life Bonnat was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 ...

at the L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts. They shared a studio together from 1895-1902. Rachmiel returned to the United States and settled in California from 1901-1902 and again in 1906. From 1903-1905, both father and son worked in Washington D.C., decorating the

Corcoran Art Gallery The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a former art museum in Washington, D.C., that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Founded in 1869 by philanthropist William Wilson Corcoran ...

. Rachmiel painted in Philadelphia, Pasadena, Laguna, and Santa Barbara before his death at Vincennes, near Paris, in 1918.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rachmiel, Alexandre 1835 births 1918 deaths 19th-century French painters French male painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French landscape painters Place of birth missing French emigrants to the United States People from Alsace-Lorraine 19th-century French male artists