Émile Signol (March 11, 1804 – October 4, 1892) was a French artist who painted

history painting History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...

s, portraits, and

genre work Genre art is the pictorial representation in any of various media of scenes or events from everyday life, such as markets, domestic settings, interiors, parties, inn scenes, work, and street scenes. Such representations (also called genre works, ...

s. Although he lived during the Romantic period, he espoused an austere

neoclassicism Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

and was hostile to Romanticism.

Biography

Signol was born in Paris. He studied under Blondel and

Gros Gros may refer to: People *Gros (surname) * Gross (surname), the German variant of Gros * Le Gros, the Norman variant of Gros Other uses * Gros (coinage), a type of 13th-century silver coinage of France * Gros (grape), another name for Elbling, ...

.Viardot, p. 59. He made his

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 ...

debut in 1824 with a painting of ''Joseph Recounting His Dream to His Brothers''. He painted a portrait of

Hector Berlioz In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

at the

Académie de France à Rome The French Academy in Rome (french: Académie de France à Rome) is an Academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio (Pincian Hill) in Rome, Italy. History The Academy was founded at the Palazzo Capranica in ...

Villa Medici The Villa Medici () is a Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici, ...

, during the composer's stay upon his winning the

Grand Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

in 1830. Signol had won the grand prize for the same competition's painting category with ''Titulus Crucis''.Bloom, Peter (1998)
''The Life of Berlioz''
p. 8. Cambridge University Press. In 1842 he painted ''The Death of Saphira'' for the

Church of the Madeleine , other name = , native_name = , native_name_lang = French , image = Madeleine Paris.jpg , landscape = , imagesize = , caption = , imagelink ...

, and was subsequently commissioned to decorate the churches of Saint Roch, Saint Sévérin, Saint Eustace, and Saint Augustin. Four of his paintings are housed at the Saint-Sulpice church in Paris. He was made a Knight of 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 ...

in 1841, and an Officer in 1865. Elected in 1860, he held a first seat position at the

Académie des Beaux-Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

in Paris. In 1862,

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "R ...

studied under Signol and

Charles Gleyre Marc Gabriel Charles Gleyre (2 May 1806 – 5 May 1874), was a Swiss artist who was a resident in France from an early age. He took over the studio of Paul Delaroche in 1843 and taught a number of younger artists who became prominent, including He ...

across from the

École du Louvre The École du Louvre is an institution of higher education and grande école located in the Aile de Flore of the Louvre Palace in Paris, France. It is dedicated to the study of archaeology, art history, anthropology and epigraphy. Admission is ...

at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

. Signol and Gleyre taught Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte du Nouÿ in 1861. Signol died in

Montmorency, Val-d'Oise Montmorency () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Montmorency was the fief of the Montmorency family, one of the oldest and most distinguished families of the French nobility. It is ...

in 1892.

Emile Signol (1804-1892) - Dagobert Ier roi d'Austrasie de Neustrie et de Bourgogne (mort en 638)

Selected works

* ''The Abduction of Psyche'' * ''Réveil du Juste, Réveil du Méchant Angers'' (

Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers The Musée des beaux-arts d'Angers is a museum of art located in a mansion, the "logis Barrault", place Saint-Éloi near the historic city of Angers. Building The museum is part of the Toussaint complex, which includes the garden of Fine Arts, ...

) * ''Godfrey of Bouillon'' * '' La Théologié'' * ''

Titulus Crucis The Titulus Crucis (Latin for "Title of the Cross") is a piece of wood kept in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome which is claimed to be the (title panel) of the True Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified. It is venerated by s ...

'' * ''Portrait of Berlioz'' (1832) * ''Saint Bernard preaching the Second Crusade before King Louis VII, his queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Abbot Suger, at Vézelay in Burgundy, March 31, 1146'' (1840) * ''Le Christ et la femme adultère'' (1840) * ''

Dagobert I Dagobert I ( la, Dagobertus; 605/603 – 19 January 639 AD) was the king of Austrasia (623–634), king of all the Franks (629–634), and king of Neustria and Burgundy (629–639). He has been described as the last king of the Merovingian dy ...

'' (1842; Museo Nazionale del Castello e di Trianons, Versailles) * ''Prise de Jérusalem par les Croisés, 15 Juillet 1099'' (1847) * ''The Trial Of Calumny'' * ''Apotre Guerissant Un Malade Par L'Imposition Des Mains''

Notes

References

* Schwartz, Emmanuel (2005). ''The Legacy of Homer: Four Centuries of Art from the École Nationale Supérieure Des Beaux-Arts, Paris''. Yale University Press. * Viardot, Louis (1883). ''The masterpieces of French art illustrated: being a biographical history of art in France, from the earliest period to and including the Salon of 1882, Volume 1''
The Hector Berlioz Website

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Signol, Emile 1804 births 1892 deaths 19th-century French painters French male painters Prix de Rome for painting Members of the Académie des beaux-arts 19th-century painters of historical subjects 19th-century French male artists