The Pre-Impressionists: Charles Jacque and L�on Jacque
Hello everyone. I'm not intending to revive this blog, as I simply don't have the time, but I have found a few posts that are so nearly complete that it seems a shame not to post them. So here's an addition to the posts I made about Barbizon artists quite a while back.
The Jacque brothers, Charles �mile and L�on, are minor figures in the Barbizon School compared to Corot, Millet, Rousseau, and Daubigny, but their art has an honesty and charm that still keeps it alive today. Charles �mile Jacque was born in Paris in 1813, and died there in 1894. The younger brother L�on Jacque was born in 1828, and surprisingly his date of death appears to be unknown. I haven't come across any work by L�on Jacque after 1872, so I would hazard a guess at a death in the early 1870s. The whole Jacque family seem to have been artistically gifted; there are also Charles Jacque's sons �mile, Fr�d�ric, and Maurice, and a Marcel Jacque who seems to be some kind of relation.
Charles �mile Jacque was born and died in Paris. Charles was apprenticed to an engraver of maps at the age of 17; wishing to become an artist, he made his first original etching at this period, a head of a woman after Rembrandt. Unable to support himself as an artist, Charles Jacque then joined the army for a period of seven years, taking part in the siege of Anvers. During this time Jacque continued making drawings, which he sold for a franc apiece. After a further two years as a wood engraver in England, Charles Jacque returned to France, and established himself in Paris.
Charles Jacque made his Salon debut with etchings in 1845. Jacque became a prominent member of the group of plein-air landscape painters known as the Barbizon School. He was particularly close to Th�odore Rousseau, and influenced by Millet, who was his neighbour at Barbizon for many years.
L�on Jacque exhibited at the Salon de Paris for only a brief period, from 1864-1866, and contributed original etchings to the revue L'Artiste between 1863 and 1872. His brief career seems to have been lived very much in his older brother's shadow, yet L�on Jacque was a very accomplished artist in his own right. I wish I knew more about him.
I would guess the etching above, made by Marcel Jacque in facsimile of the original 1861 etching by Millet, dates from around the mid-1890s, when Eug�ne Del�tre commissioned various artists to create loving facsimiles of Millet's etchings, the original plates being no longer available. I'll reproduce more of these when I get round to Millet in this series of posts on the Pre-Impressionists.
The Jacque brothers, Charles �mile and L�on, are minor figures in the Barbizon School compared to Corot, Millet, Rousseau, and Daubigny, but their art has an honesty and charm that still keeps it alive today. Charles �mile Jacque was born in Paris in 1813, and died there in 1894. The younger brother L�on Jacque was born in 1828, and surprisingly his date of death appears to be unknown. I haven't come across any work by L�on Jacque after 1872, so I would hazard a guess at a death in the early 1870s. The whole Jacque family seem to have been artistically gifted; there are also Charles Jacque's sons �mile, Fr�d�ric, and Maurice, and a Marcel Jacque who seems to be some kind of relation.
L�opold Massard, Charles �mile Jacque
Etching, 1884
Charles �mile Jacque was born and died in Paris. Charles was apprenticed to an engraver of maps at the age of 17; wishing to become an artist, he made his first original etching at this period, a head of a woman after Rembrandt. Unable to support himself as an artist, Charles Jacque then joined the army for a period of seven years, taking part in the siege of Anvers. During this time Jacque continued making drawings, which he sold for a franc apiece. After a further two years as a wood engraver in England, Charles Jacque returned to France, and established himself in Paris.
Charles Jacque, L'escalier
Etching, 1845
Charles Jacque, Les Gaudes
Relief etching (proc�d� Comte), 1852
Charles Jacque, A Cottage
Etching, 1865
Charles Jacque, La fen�tre de l'auberge
Etching after Adraen van Ostade, 1845
Charles Jacque
Etching after Meindert Hobbema
William Brassey Hole, Le retour du troupeau
Etching after Charles �mile Jacque, 1888
Charles Jacque made his Salon debut with etchings in 1845. Jacque became a prominent member of the group of plein-air landscape painters known as the Barbizon School. He was particularly close to Th�odore Rousseau, and influenced by Millet, who was his neighbour at Barbizon for many years.
L�on Jacque, L'�table
Etching, 1864
L�on Jacque, Environ de Fontainebleau
Etching, 1864
L�on Jacque, Pens�e amoureuse (femme de profil cousant)
Etching after Edm� Bouchardon, 1864
L�on Jacque exhibited at the Salon de Paris for only a brief period, from 1864-1866, and contributed original etchings to the revue L'Artiste between 1863 and 1872. His brief career seems to have been lived very much in his older brother's shadow, yet L�on Jacque was a very accomplished artist in his own right. I wish I knew more about him.
Marcel Jacque, La bouillie
Etching after Jean-Fran�ois Millet, date unknown
I would guess the etching above, made by Marcel Jacque in facsimile of the original 1861 etching by Millet, dates from around the mid-1890s, when Eug�ne Del�tre commissioned various artists to create loving facsimiles of Millet's etchings, the original plates being no longer available. I'll reproduce more of these when I get round to Millet in this series of posts on the Pre-Impressionists.
