DOI Heft:
No. 123 (June, 1903)
DOI Artikel:Bénédite, Léonce: Alphonse Legros, painter and sculptor
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19879#0024
The Paintings and Sculpture of Alphonse Legros
studies, heads and landscapes—of which, at the at Lyons, where he was employed on the "decora-
outset, he produced many, as his chief means of tion of a chapel in the Cathedral. Therew he
subsistence—or the morceaux executed as demon- . stayed six months, and, reaching Paris at last,twas
strations in the course of the silent conferences for engaged by Cambon, the well-known theatrical
which he was in such great demand in all parts of decorator. He also attended the drawing classes
England, it would be impossible to collect more at a school which exists to this day under another
than forty of his subjects, portraits or compositions, name—" L'Ecole' des Arts D.eeo.ratifs'"—but was
from the galleries of France and England and from then known simply as " La" Petite ficole." His
private collections in London. master here was the Lecoq de Boisbaudran to
It may now be well to sketch in a few lines the, whom I have already alluded. He'taught his'.pupil
biography of Legros. I shall not labour the subject, 'a very fine and practical method of studying forms
for it is sufficiently well known nowadays, and I have by what he called " le dessin de memoire "—a
had the good fortune to contribute thereto myself. method which formed quite an appreciable number
Let me then recall a few of the salient facts. of highly meritorious artists. I need do no more
Alphonse Legros was born at Dijon, on the 8th than name Bonvin, Fantin-Latour, Dalou ,and
of May, 1837. His family all belonged to a small Rodin, Cazin, Lhermitte and Guillaume Regamey,
neighbouring village, and came of an old Burgun- all well known in England. Furthermore, like all
dian stock. His father was an accountant. The his comrades, Legros, by the advice of the master,
home was full of children, and life there was some- worked much at the Louvre.
what restricted. Alphonse, while still quite young, His first attempt at painting was made only after
was sent to the School of Fine Arts in the town, in a considerable period of study, for it was one of
order that he might learn drawing, with the idea of " Pere Lecoq's " principles that no painting should
qualifying him for some trade, and, in fact, at the be done until one could draw satisfactorily, and,
age of thirteen he was placed with a house painter, above all, that one should delay exhibiting as long
who proudly styled himself " Maitre Nicolardo, as possible. It dates from 1857, in which year
peintre en bailments et colorieur d'images." In Legros sent two portraits to the Salon; one was
1851 the lad left for Paris, stopping on the way refused, the other, accepted, was the portrait of his
" EVENING "
FROM THE DRAWING IN WASH AND LINE BY ALPHONSE LEGROS
7
studies, heads and landscapes—of which, at the at Lyons, where he was employed on the "decora-
outset, he produced many, as his chief means of tion of a chapel in the Cathedral. Therew he
subsistence—or the morceaux executed as demon- . stayed six months, and, reaching Paris at last,twas
strations in the course of the silent conferences for engaged by Cambon, the well-known theatrical
which he was in such great demand in all parts of decorator. He also attended the drawing classes
England, it would be impossible to collect more at a school which exists to this day under another
than forty of his subjects, portraits or compositions, name—" L'Ecole' des Arts D.eeo.ratifs'"—but was
from the galleries of France and England and from then known simply as " La" Petite ficole." His
private collections in London. master here was the Lecoq de Boisbaudran to
It may now be well to sketch in a few lines the, whom I have already alluded. He'taught his'.pupil
biography of Legros. I shall not labour the subject, 'a very fine and practical method of studying forms
for it is sufficiently well known nowadays, and I have by what he called " le dessin de memoire "—a
had the good fortune to contribute thereto myself. method which formed quite an appreciable number
Let me then recall a few of the salient facts. of highly meritorious artists. I need do no more
Alphonse Legros was born at Dijon, on the 8th than name Bonvin, Fantin-Latour, Dalou ,and
of May, 1837. His family all belonged to a small Rodin, Cazin, Lhermitte and Guillaume Regamey,
neighbouring village, and came of an old Burgun- all well known in England. Furthermore, like all
dian stock. His father was an accountant. The his comrades, Legros, by the advice of the master,
home was full of children, and life there was some- worked much at the Louvre.
what restricted. Alphonse, while still quite young, His first attempt at painting was made only after
was sent to the School of Fine Arts in the town, in a considerable period of study, for it was one of
order that he might learn drawing, with the idea of " Pere Lecoq's " principles that no painting should
qualifying him for some trade, and, in fact, at the be done until one could draw satisfactorily, and,
age of thirteen he was placed with a house painter, above all, that one should delay exhibiting as long
who proudly styled himself " Maitre Nicolardo, as possible. It dates from 1857, in which year
peintre en bailments et colorieur d'images." In Legros sent two portraits to the Salon; one was
1851 the lad left for Paris, stopping on the way refused, the other, accepted, was the portrait of his
" EVENING "
FROM THE DRAWING IN WASH AND LINE BY ALPHONSE LEGROS
7