Jules Théophile Schuler (18 June 1821 – 26 January 1878) was a French painter and

illustrator An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...

in the Romantic style. He gave his name to an art award established in 1938.

Life

The son of a

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

, he studied painting in his hometown, intaglio printmaking in

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

and finally took further lessons in the studios of Michel Martin Drolling and

Paul Delaroche Hippolyte-Paul Delaroche (; Paris, 17 July 1797 – Paris, 4 November 1856) was a French painter who achieved his greater successes painting historical scenes. He became famous in Europe for his melodramatic depictions that often portrayed subje ...

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 ...

between 1839 and 1843. After 1848, he settled in Strasbourg where he painted, illustrated and gave drawing courses. From 1859 onwards, he collaborated with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel, for whom he illustrated works by Verne ('' Master Zacharius''), Hugo ('' Les Châtiments'') and Erckmann-Chatrian, but also an alphabet for children, to which a letter "W" was added when it appeared in an American edition as ''Letters Everywhere: Stories And Rhymes For Children'', and the children's classic '' Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates''. Schuler's masterpiece is the monumental oil on canvas painting '' The Chariot of Death'', created in a spirit of mystical despair after the

French Revolution of 1848 The French Revolution of 1848 (), also known as the February Revolution (), was a period of civil unrest in France, in February 1848, that led to the collapse of the July Monarchy and the foundation of the French Second Republic. It sparked t ...

and similar simultaneous events in Europe. It is prominently displayed in the Unterlinden Museum of

Colmar Colmar (; ; or ) is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Alsace region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department ...

, to which it was given by the artist in 1862. In his mature years in Strasbourg, Schuler lived in a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

house on 1, quai Saint-Nicolas. He is commemorated by a relief portrait below the

oriel window An oriel window is a form of bay window which protrudes from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground. Supported by corbels, bracket (architecture), brackets, or similar cantilevers, an oriel window generally projects from an ...

. Since 1918, a street in Strasbourg bears his name (''rue Théophile Schuler'').

Prize

The ''Prix Théophile Schuler'' is awarded every year to up and coming local artists under the age of 35 by the ''Société des Amis des Arts et des Musées de Strasbourg'' ("Society of the friends of the arts and of the museums of Strasbourg"), founded in 1832, of which Schuler was a

general secretary Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, Power (social and political), power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the org ...

. It was established in 1938 thanks to a legacy by Schuler's daughter Alsa; in 2016, the prize amount was 3,000

Euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...

Gallery

Verne-Zacharius.jpg, The Time Demon. Illustration from

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

's '' Master Zacharius'' Schuler Souvenir de la Foret Noire.jpg, ''Recalling the

Black Forest The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...

'' ( Cabinet des estampes et des dessins, Strasbourg) Théophile Schuler-Erwin von Steinbach.jpg, '' Erwin von Steinbach'' (1846, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg) Musée Unterlinden - Théophile Schuler - Le Char de la Mort (1848) (2).jpg, '' The Chariot of Death'' (1848–1851, Unterlinden Museum,

) Le maire Küss au milieu des ruines de Strasbourg (1873) (1).JPG, ''Mayor Küss in the ruins of Strasbourg'' (1873, Musée historique de Strasbourg) Théophile Schuler-Bartholdi-Strasbourg (3).jpg, Schuler by Bartholdi

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schuler, Theophile Painters from Strasbourg 1821 births 1878 deaths 19th-century French painters French illustrators French male painters 19th-century French male artists

Life

Prize

Gallery

See also

References

External links