Victor Alfred Paul Vignon (25 December 1847– 15 March 1909) was a French

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

landscape painter and graphic artist. He was involved with the Impressionism movement and its protagonists, as he exhibited at the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight Paris Impressionist Exhibitions from 1880 to 1886.

Biography

His mother was

Marie-Noémi Cadiot Marie-Noémi Cadiot (; 12 December 1828, Paris – 10 April 1888, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat), also known as Noémi (or Noémie) Constant and her literary pseudonyms Claude Vignon and H. Morel, was a French sculptor, journalist and writer of the 19t ...

, a sculptor who worked under the name "Claude Vignon"Sophie Monneret, ''L'Impressionnisme et son époque'', vol. 2, t. I, and vol. 2, t. II, , Robert Laffont, 1987. (after a character from the novel ''

Béatrix ''Béatrix'' is an 1839 novel by French author Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) and included in the ''Scènes de la vie privée'' section of his novel sequence ''La Comédie humaine''. It first appeared in the periodical ''Le Siècle'' in August ...

'' by Balzac). When he was born, she was the proprietor of a hotel which was decorated by

Puvis de Chavannes Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (; 14 December 1824 – 24 October 1898) was a French painter known for his mural painting, who came to be known as "the painter for France". He became the co-founder and president of the Société Nationale des Beaux-A ...

in the 1850s, so he had an early introduction to art. He studied with

Camille Corot Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot ( , , ; 16 July 1796 – 22 February 1875), or simply Camille Corot, was a French landscape and portrait painter as well as a printmaker in etching. A pivotal figure in landscape painting, his vast output si ...

and

Adolphe-Félix Cals Adolphe-Félix Cals (17 October 1810 – 3 October 1880) was a French portrait, genre, and landscape painter. Life and work Adolphe–Félix Cals was born into a poor family, yet his parents attempted to prevent him from performing manual labor ...

.
Brief biography
@ Impressionisme. Originally, he worked in the

Val-d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674.< ...

, supplemented with trips to

Clamart Clamart () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. The town is divided into two parts, separated by a forest: ''bas Clamart'', the historical centre, and ''petit Clamart'' with urban ...

Bougival Bougival () is a suburban commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is located west from the centre of Paris, on the left bank of the River Seine, on the departmental border with Hauts-de-Seine. In ...

, and

La Celle-Saint-Cloud La Celle-Saint-Cloud () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is a western outer suburb of Paris, from its centre, on the departmental border with Hauts-de-Seine. In 2021, it had a popula ...

. In the 1870s, he formed a friendship with

Camille Pissarro Jacob Abraham Camille Pissarro ( ; ; 10 July 1830 – 13 November 1903) was a Danish-French Impressionist and Neo-Impressionist painter born on the island of St Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but then in the Danish West Indies). ...

and associated with his circle in

Auvers-sur-Oise Auvers-sur-Oise (, "Auvers-on-Oise (river), Oise") is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, department of Val-d'Oise, on the northwestern outskirts of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris. I ...

, Dominique Spiess, Encyclopedie Des Impressionnistes, Italie, 1992 including

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...

and

Armand Guillaumin Armand Guillaumin (; February 16, 1841 – June 26, 1927) was a French Impressionist painter and lithographer. Biography Early years Born Jean-Baptiste Armand Guillaumin in Paris, he worked at his uncle's lingerie shop while attending even ...

among the others. They frequently painted in each other's company while also sharing similar subjects. Richard Brettel et Al., A day in the country: Impressionism and the French landscape, 1990 During this period his work embraced the brighter color palette and the brushstroke technique of

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

, thus leaving behind the style of the Barbizon School which characterized his formation and early production. In 1878, besides having a large sale of works at , he exhibited for the first time at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

,http://salons.musee-orsay.fr/index/salon/209, Booklet of the 95th official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. where he showed two paintings. In 1880, he moved to

Nesles-la-Vallée Nesles-la-Vallée () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France. See also *Communes of the Val-d'Oise department The following is a list of the 183 Communes of France, communes of the Val-d'Oise Department ...

then, a short time later, settled in L'Isle-Adam, where he made friends with

Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

and Dr.

Paul Gachet Paul-Ferdinand Gachet (30 July 1828 – 9 January 1909) was a French physician most famous for treating the painter Vincent van Gogh during his last weeks in Auvers-sur-Oise. Gachet was a great supporter of artists and the Impressionist movement ...

became one of his best customers. In the same period, art dealer Théo van Gogh, brother of Vincent, also bought some of his works which are nowadays part of the collection at the

Van Gogh Museum The Van Gogh Museum () is a Dutch art museum dedicated to the works of Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries in the Museum Square in Amsterdam South, close to the Stedelijk Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw. The museum opened o ...

in Amsterdam. Vangoghmuseum-s0277V1962-800

In 1880 and 1881, he participated to the fifth and sixth Paris Impressionist Exhibitions, whose invitation process was mostly managed by

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints, and drawings. Degas is e ...

. Despite some initial resistance from

Claude Monet Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...

, who believed that his sharp outlines were not truly impressionistic, he most notably participated to the seventh Paris Impressionist Exhibition in 1882, which in contrast with the previous one was not managed by Degas, and whose participation was indeed severely restricted to a small circle of only nine "true" Impressionists. The other eight participants were

Gustave Caillebotte Gustave Caillebotte (; 19 August 1848 – 21 February 1894) was a French painter who was a member and patron of the Impressionists, although he painted in a more Realism (arts), realistic manner than many others in the group. Caillebotte was kno ...

Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...

Berthe Morisot Berthe Marie Pauline Morisot (; 14 January 1841 – 2 March 1895) was a French painter, printmaker and a member of the circle of painters in Paris who became known as the Impressionists. In 1864, Morisot exhibited for the first time in the ...

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; ; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French people, French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionism, Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially femininity, fe ...

, and

Alfred Sisley Alfred Sisley (; ; 30 October 1839 – 29 January 1899) was an Impressionist landscape painter who was born and spent most of his life in France, but retained British citizenship. He was the most consistent of the Impressionists in his dedic ...

. His participation with 15 paintings to such an exclusive exhibition cements his status in the Impressionism movement, while separating him from the group of participants who took part in the other less restricted exhibitions managed by Degas. Among the various reviews from the exhibition,Berson, Ruth (ed.): The New Painting: Impressionism 1874-1886, San Francisco, 1996 (2 Volumes). critic Sallanches noted that the source of inspiration for Vignon is the same as the one of his friend Camille Pissarro, but he assessed Vignon as being less strong in composition while being more brilliant in colours. In 1886, Vignon participated in the 8th and last Impressionist Exhibition. Critic

Félix Fénéon Félix Fénéon (; 22 June 1861 – 29 February 1944) was a French art critic, gallery director, writer and anarchist during the late 19th century and early 20th century. He coined the term '' Neo-Impressionism'' in 1886 to identify a group of ...

, an ardent promoter of the

pointillism Pointillism (, ) is a technique of painting in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac developed the technique in 1886, branching from Impressionism. The term "Pointillism ...

and the

neo-impressionism Neo-Impressionism is a term coined by French art critic Félix Fénéon in 1886 to describe an art movement founded by Georges Seurat. Seurat's most renowned masterpiece, '' A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte'', marked the begin ...

movement led by

Georges Seurat Georges Pierre Seurat ( , ; ; 2 December 1859 – 29 March 1891) was a French post-Impressionist artist. He devised the painting techniques known as chromoluminarism and pointillism and used conté crayon for drawings on paper with a rough ...

, negatively assessed Vignon's landscape compositions as generally invariable and dull. On the other hand, critics Fevre and Geffroy appreciated Vignon's painting style and the "emotional and sincere" aspect of his landscapes. In 1894, a large solo exhibition of Vignon was held at the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery in Paris. In the preface of the exhibition catalogue,https://archive.org/details/frick-31072002573394/page/n7/mode/2up Catalogue of Victor Vignon 1894 Solo Exhibition at the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery. critic noted some influences from the old

Dutch Masters Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history roughly spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Republi ...

but he significantly diminished the influence of

Corot CoRoT (French: ; English: Convection, Rotation and planetary Transits) was a space telescope mission which operated from 2006 to 2013. The mission's two objectives were to search for extrasolar planets with short orbital periods, particularly t ...

and the Barbizon school, as the extent of these influences constituted a common criticism against Vignon and his impressionistic style. At the end of his review, refers to Vignon as "a link between two schools that have succeeded one another, fought with one another", and also as "a transition between what has been and what will be, from the art of yesterday to the art of tomorrow". Already afflicted by a heart condition and serious vision problems in the late 1880s, he never really had the chance to evolve into

Post-Impressionism Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction a ...

, and at the end of the 1890s he started to lose his sight. In 1900, Dr. Georges Viau, an oral surgeon who was an enthusiastic art collector, helped Vignon to get his works displayed at the Exposition Universelle. Three years later,

and

Paul Durand-Ruel Paul Durand-Ruel (; 31 October 1831 – 5 February 1922) was a French art dealer associated with the Impressionists and the Barbizon School. Being the first to support artists such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, he ...

helped organize a retrospective of his work. After his death, Renoir and Julie Manet-Rouart (the daughter of

) organized another exhibition. Among the others, other posthumous solo exhibitions took place in 1921 at the Bernheim-Jeune Gallery, 1923 at the Durant-Ruel Gallery in New York, and 1938 at Huinck & Scherjon in Amsterdam. Very popular with art collectors, his works were and continue nowadays to be part of important private collections. Among the others, auctions held in the 1900s and 1910s, revealed a significant presence of his paintings within the collections of Dr. Georges Viau, F. Stumpf, Count

Armand Doria Count Armand Doria (1824-1896) was a French aristocrat, art collector and patron. He served as the mayor of Orrouy from 1864 to 1896. He acquired a significant collection of impressionism, impressionist works, including paintings subsequently exhib ...

, Louis Flornoy,

Georges Feydeau Georges-Léon-Jules-Marie Feydeau (; 8 December 1862 – 5 June 1921) was a French playwright of the Belle Époque era, remembered for his farces, written between 1886 and 1914. Feydeau was born in Paris to middle-class parents and raised in a ...

, Albert Bernier, Nicholas Auguste Hazard, as well as art critics and Arsene Alexandre.

Selected paintings

File:Vignon Mother and child.jpg, ''Mother and Child''
Taking a Walk File:Victor_Vignon_The_Haystack_1.jpg, ''The Haystack'' File:Vignon Groupe de Maisons.jpg, ''Group of Houses'' File:Vignon Le Hameau en Printemps.jpg, ''Village in Spring'' File:Vignon Nature morte.jpg, ''Still-life with Oranges''

References

External links

Arcadja Auctions: More works by Vignon

Biographical sketch and critical commentary
@ Van-Gogh.fr
Mentions of Vignon in Van Gogh's letters
@ the

.
Victor Vignon collection
@ the

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vignon, Victor 1847 births 1909 deaths French landscape painters Impressionist artists 19th-century French painters French male painters 19th-century French male artists

Biography

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links