Émile Adélard Breton (8 March 1831, Courrières – 24 November 1902, Courrières) was a French painter and engraver; best known for his moody nocturnal landscapes with figures.

Biography

His older brother, Jules, was also a painter and gave him his first lessons, although he was largely self-taught. His younger brother, , was an engineer who was in charge of drilling for the first attempt to build a cross-channel railway tunnel. His first exhibition was at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

in 1861. He later won a medal there three years in a row (1866–68) and was awarded a first-class medal at the Exposition Universelle (1878). Following that, he was named a Knight in the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. He was given a gold medal at the

Exposition Universelle (1889) The Exposition Universelle of 1889 () was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two million visitors. The ...

. During the Franco-Prussian War, he served as a commander of the forces in

Pas-de-Calais Pas-de-Calais (, " strait of Calais"; pcd, Pas-Calés; also nl, Nauw van Kales) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments ...

. He also served as Mayor of Courrières, as did his father, Marie-Louis Breton (1796–1848) and his uncle, Boniface Breton (1829–1891). He was profoundly affected by the death of his only son, Louis, in 1891 at the age of twenty-nine, which came shortly after the death of his wife. The following year, he decided to abandon painting and sold his entire workshop at auction.Auction catalogue
@ BNF Gallica. Later, he began painting again, but produced very little. His niece was

Virginie Demont-Breton Virginie Élodie Marie Thérèse Demont-Breton (26 July 1859, Courrières – 10 January 1935, Paris) was a French painter. Biography Her father Jules Breton and her uncle Émile Breton were both well-known painters. Through her father she ...

, who was also a well-known painter.

Adrien Demont Adrien Louis Demont (25 October 1851, Douai - 25 October 1928, Wissant) was a French landscape painter; associated with the artists' colony at Wissant. Biography At first, he studied law, but decided to devote himself to painting. His first ...

(who married his niece) and

Henri Duhem Henri Aimé Duhem (7 April 1860, Douai - 24 October 1941, Juan-les-Pins) was a French Impressionist painter. Biography He was descended from an old Flemish family and originally practiced as a lawyer. In 1887, his passion for drawing and wate ...

were among his best-known students. A street in Courrières has been named after him.

References

External links

ArtNet: More works by Breton.Paintings by Breton
@ Musenor
Letters by Vincent van Gogh
that mention Breton. {{DEFAULTSORT:Breton, Emile 1831 births 1902 deaths 19th-century French painters French landscape painters Recipients of the Legion of Honour People from Courrières