Jean Baptiste Guth (4 January 1855 – 1922) was a French

portrait art Portrait Painting is a Hierarchy of genres, genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commissi ...

ist, active from 1875 until a few months before his death. Guth worked mostly in

watercolour Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

and

pastel A pastel () is an art medium in a variety of forms including a stick, a square a pebble or a pan of color; though other forms are possible; they consist of powdered pigment and a binder. The pigments used in pastels are similar to those use ...

s. Much of his work was as an illustrator of magazines, especially the French ''

L'Illustration ''L'Illustration'' was a weekly French language, French newspaper published in Paris from 1843 to 1944. It was founded by Édouard Charton with the first issue published on 4 March 1843, it became the first illustrated newspaper in France then, a ...

'' and the British '' Vanity Fair'', for which he signed his name simply as GUTH.

Life and work

Born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, in 1875 Guth was admitted as a student 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 ...

, where he was taught by

Jean-Léon Gérôme Jean-Léon Gérôme (11 May 1824 – 10 January 1904) was a French painter and sculptor in the style now known as academicism. His paintings were so widely reproduced that he was "arguably the world's most famous living artist by 1880." The ran ...

. From 1882, perhaps recommended by Louis Charles Auguste Steinheil, he worked for Félix Gaudin, for whom he made drawings for

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows.Jean-François Luneau, ''Félix Gaudin, peintre-verrier et mosaïste, 1851–1930'' (Presses Universitaires Blaise Pascal, Clermont Ferrand 2006, )
p. 406
/ref> In 1883, Guth moved to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

From 1884 to 1920, Guth's work was published in the French magazine ''

'' and from 1889 to 1909 in the British '' Vanity Fair'', signing himself "GUTH". Among his many portraits for ''Vanity Fair'' were his images of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

Anatole France (; born , ; 16 April 1844 – 12 October 1924) was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie França ...

, and

Alfred Dreyfus Alfred Dreyfus ( , also , ; 9 October 1859 – 12 July 1935) was a French artillery officer of Jewish ancestry whose trial and conviction in 1894 on charges of treason became one of the most polarizing political dramas in modern French history. ...

. After the death of "Ape" in 1889, "Spy" and Guth were the only regular contributors to the magazine's weekly colour portrait feature. The issue of 3 June 1897 included a double-page colour illustration by Guth, ''Au Bois de Boulogne'', showing a fashionable crowd in the

Bois de Boulogne The Bois de Boulogne (, "Boulogne woodland") is a large public park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine. The land was ceded to the city of Paris by t ...

park,

, including the Duke and Duchess of Rohan, the Prince and Princess of Broglie, the Duchess of Doudeauville,

Cléo de Mérode Cléopâtre-Diane de Mérode (27 September 1875 – 17 October 1966) was a French dancer of the Belle Époque. She has been referred to as the "first real celebrity icon" and the "first modern celebrity". She was also the first woman whose photo ...

Liane de Pougy Liane de Pougy (born Anne-Marie Chassaigne, 2 July 1869 – 26 December 1950), was a Folies Bergère vedette and dancer renowned as one of Paris's most beautiful and notorious courtesans. Early life and marriage Anne-Marie Chassaigne was born ...

, Carolina Otéro, Princess Ghika, Ralouka Bibesco-Bassaraba de Brancovan, and

Ernest Coquelin Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor *Ernest, M ...

Guth worked mostly in watercolour and pastels, for reproduction by

chromolithography Chromolithography is a method for making multi-colour prints. This type of colour printing stemmed from the process of lithography, and includes all types of lithography that are printed in colour. When chromolithography is used to reproduce ph ...

. Guth revealed few details of his own life. A book about Gérôme notes the existence of a portrait of him by Guth, in which Gérôme is shown wearing a sculptor's smock, working on a bust. The artist is described as "Jean-Baptiste Guth, peintre et élève de Gérôme, sur lequel on ne sait pas grand chose..." (painter and pupil of Gérôme, about whom not much is known).

Exhibitions

In the final year of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the

Goupil Gallery Goupil & Cie is an international auction house and merchant of contemporary art and collectibles. Jean-Baptiste Adophe Goupil founded Goupil & Cie in 1850. Goupil & Cie became a leading art dealership in 19th-century France, with its headquart ...

in London presented an exhibition of Guth's portraits of British and French generals, admirals, and statesmen, under the title "Men who are running the War, and other celebrities of the Entente". ''

The Graphic ''The Graphic'' was a British weekly illustrated newspaper, first published on 4 December 1869 by William Luson Thomas's company Illustrated Newspapers Ltd. Thomas's brother Lewis Samuel Thomas was a co-founder. The premature death of the latt ...

'' said in its review "No finer series of war portraits has been seen in London than those of M. Jean Baptiste Guth, now on exhibition at the Goupil Gallery in Regent Street... They are drawn in chalk, and have all been taken from life. They are bold in conception, annexing inevitably the dominant characteristic of the subject. One of the best is that of Viscount Grey. The French series, which includes Poincaré, Clemenceau, Pétain and

Foch Ferdinand Foch ( , ; 2 October 1851 – 20 March 1929) was a French general and military theorist who served as the Supreme Allied Commander during the First World War. An aggressive, even reckless commander at the First Marne, Flanders and Ar ...

, is very interesting and more novel to the average Englishman."''

'' dated 09 March 1918, p. 34

Gallery

File:Henri de Blowitz, Vanity Fair, 1889-12-07.jpg, Henri Blowitz, 1889 File:Gustave Eiffel, Vanity Fair, 1889-05-11.jpg,

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...

, 1889 File:Charles de Freycinet Vanity Fair 18 April 1891.jpg,

Charles de Freycinet Charles Louis de Saulces de Freycinet (; 14 November 1828 – 14 May 1923) was a French statesman and four times Prime Minister during the Third Republic. He also served an important term as Minister of War (1888–1893). He belonged to the Opp ...

1891 File:Alphonse Daudet Vanity Fair 11 March 1893.jpg,

Alphonse Daudet Alphonse Daudet (; 13 May 184016 December 1897) was a French novelist. He was the husband of Julia Daudet and father of Edmée, Léon and Lucien Daudet. Early life Daudet was born in Nîmes, France. His family, on both sides, belonged to the ''bo ...

, 1893 File:Alphonse James de Rothschild (Portrait).jpg,

Alphonse James de Rothschild Mayer Alphonse James Rothschild (1 February 1827 – 26 May 1905), was a French financier, vineyard owner, art collector, philanthropist, racehorse owner/breeder and a member of the Rothschild banking family of France. Biography Known as Alp ...

, 1894 File:Baron Chaudron de Courcel Vanity Fair 31 January 1895.jpg, Baron Chaudron de Courcel, 1895 File:Julien_Viaud_Vanity_Fair_6_June_1895.jpg,

Pierre Loti Pierre Loti (; pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud ; 14 January 1850 – 10 June 1923) was a French naval officer and novelist, known for his exotic novels and short stories.This article is derived largely from the ''Encyclopædia Britannica El ...

, 1895 File:Félix Faure Vanity Fair 18 April 1895.jpg,

Félix Faure Félix François Faure (; 30 January 1841 – 16 February 1899) was the President of France from 1895 until his death in 1899. A native of Paris, he worked as a tanner in his younger years. Faure became a member of the Chamber of Deputies for Se ...

, 1895 File:Li Hung Chang, Vanity Fair, 1896-08-13.jpg,

Marquis A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman wi ...

Li Hung Chang Li Hongzhang, Marquess Suyi ( zh, t=李鴻章; also Li Hung-chang; 15 February 1823 – 7 November 1901) was a Chinese politician, general and diplomat of the late Qing dynasty. He quelled several major rebellions and served in important ...

, 1896 File:Coquelin in Vanity Fair 1898.jpg,

Benoît-Constant Coquelin Benoît-Constant Coquelin (; 23 January 184127 January 1909), known as Coquelin aîné ("Coquelin the Elder"), was a French actor, "one of the greatest theatrical figures of the age." Biography Coquelin was born in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Pas-de-Calais ...

, 1898 File:Brisson Vanity Fair 1898-10-06.jpg,

Henri Brisson Eugène Henri Brisson (; 31 July 183514 April 1912) was a French statesman, Prime Minister of France for a period in 1885-1886 and again in 1898. Biography He was born at Bourges (Cher), and followed his father's profession of advocate. Havi ...

, 1898 File:Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy Vanity Fair 26 May 1898.jpg,

Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy Charles Marie Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy (16 December 1847 – 21 May 1923) was an officer in the French Army from 1870 to 1898. He gained notoriety as a spy for the German Empire and the actual perpetrator of the act of treason of which C ...

, 1898 File:Alfred Dreyfus, Vanity Fair, 1899-09-07 edit.jpg,

, 1899 File:Jules-Albert de Dion, Vanity Fair, 1899-10-12.jpg,

Jules-Albert de Dion Marquis Jules Félix Philippe Albert de Dion de Wandonne (9 March 185619 August 1946) was a French pioneer of the automobile industry. He invented a steam-powered car and used it to win the world's first auto race, but his vehicle was adjudg ...

, 1899 File:Victor, Prince Napoléon, Vanity Fair, 1899-06-01.jpg,

Victor, Prince Napoléon Victor, Prince Napoléon, titular 3rd Prince of Montfort (''Napoléon Victor Jérôme Frédéric Bonaparte''; 18 July 1862 – 3 May 1926), was the Bonapartist pretender to the French throne from 1879 until his death in 1926. He was known as Nap ...

, 1899 File:Théophile Delcassé Vanity Fair 9 February 1899.jpg,

Théophile Delcassé Théophile Delcassé (1 March 185222 February 1923) was a French politician who served as foreign minister from 1898 to 1905. He is best known for his hatred of Germany and efforts to secure alliances with Russia and Great Britain that became t ...

, 1899 File:The trial of Dreyfus, Vanity Fair, 1899-11-23.jpg, The trial of Dreyfus at Rennes, 1899 File:Edmond Rostand Vanity Fair 1901-06-20.jpg,

Edmond Rostand Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand (, , ; 1 April 1868 – 2 December 1918) was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism and is known best for his 1897 play ''Cyrano de Bergerac''. Rostand's romantic plays contrasted with t ...

, 1901 File:Friedrich Wilhelm Victor Augustus Ernest, Vanity Fair, 1905-06-01.jpg, William, Crown Prince of Germany, 1905 File:Vice-Admiral Caillard Vanity Fair 20 July 1905.jpg, Vice-Admiral Caillard, 1905 File:Alfonso XIII Vanity Fair 24 May 1906.JPG,

Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...

, 1906 File:Anatole_France,_Vanity_Fair,_1909-08-11.jpg,

, 1909

Notes

External links

Jean Baptiste Guth (‘Guth’)
at npg.org.uk (

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...

)
Jean Baptiste Guth
at art.famsf.org (

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF), comprising the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco. The permanent collection of the ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:Guth, Jean Baptiste 19th-century French artists 20th-century French artists 19th-century French illustrators 20th-century French illustrators Artists from Paris 1855 births 1922 deaths École des Beaux-Arts alumni French portrait painters Vanity Fair (British magazine) artists