Clara Filleul facts for kids

Clara Filleul, a self-portrait by the artist.

Clara Filleul: The Madwoman of Luxembourg (1842).

Clara Pauline Filleul (1822–1878) was a talented French artist and writer. She was known for her beautiful paintings and for writing exciting stories for children. Clara also used the name Clara Filleul de Pétigny. She loved to travel and explored places like South America, where she became a very successful portrait painter in Santiago, Chile. When she returned to France, her art was shown in famous exhibitions like the Paris Salon. Besides painting, Clara published many illustrated children's books starting in 1846.

Clara Filleul's Life Story

Clara Pauline Filleul was born on March 18, 1822, in a town called Nogent-le-Rotrou, France. Her birth name was Claire Pauline Filleul. Her father, François Adrien Filleul, was a lawyer. Her mother, Pauline de Pétigny de Rivery, came from a noble family.

Early Life and Travels

After finishing school in Nogent in 1835, Clara began an amazing journey. She traveled to many different countries, including Palestine, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt, and Algeria. She wrote and illustrated books about her adventures, sharing what she saw and experienced.

Becoming an Artist

Clara studied drawing, painting, and lithography (a type of printing) with a well-known artist named Raymond Auguste Monvoisin. She showed her first painting at the famous Paris Salon art exhibition in 1842. From that year on, she often traveled with Monvoisin. They explored South America together, spending time in Peru, Chile, and Brazil.

Success in South America

In 1848, Clara and Monvoisin arrived in Santiago, Chile. They opened an art studio there. For the next ten years, Clara became one of the most important painters in Chile. One of her famous works from this time is Una guasa (around 1855). She also helped color photographs in Victor Deroche's studio. Clara also taught art classes in Santiago. Her amazing portraits earned her a special medal.

Return to France and Later Works

Clara returned to France in 1860 and once again showed her art at the Paris Salon. Her pastel paintings of fruit baskets were especially praised. She also painted portraits using oil paints and continued to give painting lessons. Many of her popular books, like Récits au coin du feu (Stories by the Fireplace) and La Palestine, were reprinted.

Clara Filleul passed away in Paris on August 7, 1878. She was buried in her hometown of Nogent-le-Rotrou.

See also

In Spanish: Clara Filleul for kids