Print collector's quarterly (12.1925)

ADOLPHE HERVIER

By FRANK WEITENKAMPF

a MALL planets have their belated seduction/'
said Bouyer, writing of Hervier as one of the
■petits maitres oublies in the “ Gazette des
Beaux-Arts ” in 1896. Hervier, however, was
never entirely forgotten. Afterthe earlier chorus of praise,
later writers such as Bouvenne and Marx saw to that.
Hervier (1821-1879), son of a mediocre painter who
was a pupil of David, studied with Isabey, whom he
followed in a measure in his juicy colouring. Not in
his subjects, except for a certain liking for the shore-
and-boat scenes which Isabey cultivated in his litho-
graphs. As M. Bejot says : “ He was a pupil of Isabey,
but broke loose, quite, from the romanticism of Isabey.”
An “ irregular, an unfortunate,” who was “ richer in
means than in income ” (Louis-Henri-Victor-Jules-
Fran gois-Adolphe is his imposing string of fore-names),
he did landscapes, backgrounds for figure-painters’ pot-
boilers. When he had enough money on hand, he went
off to sketch, returning when his money ran out. His
whole life passed thus. Success never came to him.
Burty, in the preface to the catalogue of the sale held
by Hervier in 1876, said to him : “ Large, strong, with
a timid bearing, a bit embarrassed in speech, a sad
face, black eyes, long and darting lightning like those
of an Oriental. Like a drowning man restored to life.

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