Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel
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| Born | Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel 18 October 1850 Orléans, France |
| Died | 16 March 1913 (aged 62) Paris |
| Occupation | painter and illustrator |
| Nationality | French |
| Education | Julian Academy |
| Genre | watercolors, illustrations for children's books |
| Notable works | Joan of Arc (1895) |
| Notable awards | Paris Salon, bronze medal (1878); silver medal (1880) |
| Spouse | Jeanne Lebaigue |
| Children | Roger, Bernard |
Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel (born October 18, 1850 – died March 16, 1913) was a talented French painter and illustrator. He is most famous for his beautiful watercolors in children's books. He was a very important artist in children's book illustration during the 1800s.
Contents
Early Life and Art School
Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel was born in Orléans, France. He was the second of nine children in his family. His father, Benjamin Boutet de Monvel, was a professor of science. His grandfather, Adolphe Nourrit, was a famous singer. There were many artists in his family. Louis-Maurice spent most of his childhood in Paris.
In 1870, he started studying art at a famous school called the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. Soon after, he served in the French army during the Franco-Prussian War. When the war ended, he went to another art school, the Académie Julian. There, he learned from well-known artists like Gustave Boulanger and Jules Lefèbvre. They greatly influenced his early artwork.
His Paintings
In 1873, Boutet de Monvel showed his art for the first time at the Paris Salon. This was a very important art exhibition. He won a bronze medal in 1878 for his painting The Good Samaritan. In 1880, he won a silver medal for The Lesson Before the Sabbath.
He traveled to Algeria three times (in 1876, 1878, and 1880). These trips changed his painting style a lot. He loved the bright light there. He started painting outdoors, a style called plein air. His paintings began to use more orange and blue colors.
Boutet de Monvel was also an early member of the Society of French Watercolourists. This group was for artists who used watercolors. He became known for painting portraits, especially of children. He was very good at showing how children felt. Many wealthy parents asked him to paint their children. He even thought about stopping book illustration because he had so many portrait requests!
Becoming an Illustrator
In 1876, he married Jeanne Labaigue. Their first child was born three years later. They had two sons, Roger and Bernard. Roger became a writer, and Bernard became a painter. To support his family, Louis-Maurice started working as a commercial illustrator.
In 1881, he illustrated a children's reading book. This led to many more jobs illustrating children's books. He also drew pictures for a children's magazine called St. Nicholas until 1890.
His Masterpiece: Joan of Arc
In 1895, he published an illustrated children's history book about Joan of Arc. Many people consider this his best work. The large, epic scenes in Joan of Arc were inspired by older painters. His drawings had strong lines and clear, beautiful colors. Critics loved his illustrations.
One critic said that his full-page illustrations were noble and grand, like old church paintings. They also noted that his style was influenced by Japanese prints. Joan of Arc was a huge success and made him famous around the world.
In 1899, his work was shown in the United States. His art was displayed at places like the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. He traveled to Chicago for the exhibition.
At the World's Fair in 1900, he won a gold medal. This was for a large painting called Joan at the Court of Chinon. This painting was part of a plan for a new church in Donrémy.
Louis-Maurice Boutet de Monvel passed away in 1913. After his death, there were many exhibitions of his work. Today, he is still seen as a master of children's illustration. People praise his style for being simple yet powerful. His pictures often add more meaning to the stories they illustrate. He is considered one of the most important artists of the "golden era" of children's book illustration in the 1800s.
Books Illustrated by Boutet de Monvel
- Vielles chansons et rondes pour les petits enfants (Old Songs and Rounds for Little Children, 1883)
- Chansons de France pour les petits français (Songs of France for French Children, 1884)
- Quand j'étais petit by Lucien Briart (When I Was Young, 1886)
- La Farce de maître Pathelin (The Farce of Master Pathelin, 1887)
- Nos enfants, scènes de la ville et des champs by Anatole France (Our Children: Scenes from the Country and the Town, 1887)
- Fables de La Fontaine (Fables of La Fontaine, 1888)
- Xavière by Ferdinand Fabre (1890)
- Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc, 1895)
Gallery
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A poster for toothpaste, published in Les Maîtres de l'Affiche.
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A poster for the operetta La Petite Poucette, around 1891.
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A drawing for the book Nos enfants (1887).
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An illustration for the song "Au Clair de la Lune" (1883).
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A double-page spread from his book Jeanne D'Arc (1895).
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A commissioned portrait of a child from 1887.
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A page from the book Vielles Chansons et Rondes (1883).
