Paul Émile Chabas Facts for Kids

Chabas around 1897

Paul Émile Chabas (born March 7, 1869, died May 10, 1937) was a famous French painter and illustrator. He was also a member of the important French art group, the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

Life and Art Career
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Life and Art Career

Paul Chabas was born in Nantes, France. He learned to paint from well-known artists like William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Tony Robert-Fleury. His paintings were first shown at the famous Paris Salon in 1890.

He won the Prix National in 1899 for his painting Joyeux Ébats. He also won a gold medal at the World's Fair in 1900. In 1912, he received a special medal of honor called the Médaille d’honneur.

The September Morn Painting

Chabas's most famous painting is Matinée de Septembre, also known as September Morn. He painted it in 1912. In 1913, this painting caused a big stir in the United States. A man named Anthony Comstock said the painting was not proper.

This public argument made the painting very famous. Many copies of September Morn were sold for years. Paul Chabas was upset by all the fuss. For a while, he went to live quietly in the South of France.

Chabas never told anyone who the model for the painting was. He only called her "Marthe." Even years later, people were still curious about her.

Visiting the United States

Paul Chabas visited the United States in 1914 to paint there. Before his trip, some people thought he didn't like the US. This was because he had refused to sell September Morn to an American newspaper.

Chabas explained that he didn't plan to sell the painting at first. It was his wife's favorite. When he showed it at the Paris Salon in 1912, he set a very high price of $10,000. He thought no one would pay it.

However, a man named Leon Mantashev bought the painting. Chabas later said he loved September Morn and that it showed "all that I know of painting." He also said he didn't make money from the many copies sold, even though others did.

Other Works and Honors

In the 1890s, Chabas drew pictures for books by authors like Paul Bourget and Alfred de Musset. He also worked for a French publisher named Alphonse Lemerre.

In 1921, he became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He received the Légion d’honneur in 1928, which is a very high honor in France. From 1925 to 1935, he was the president of the Société des Artistes Français.

Paul Chabas passed away in Paris on May 10, 1937, after being sick for a long time. He was a widower and died in a room that had only one painting: a copy of September Morn that he had painted from memory. During his life, Paul Chabas was also known for painting many portraits of people.