Jules Joseph Augustin Laurens, commonly known as Jules Laurens, (26 July 1825,

Carpentras Carpentras (, formerly ; Provençal Occitan: ''Carpentràs'' in classical norm or ''Carpentras'' in Mistralian norm; la, Carpentoracte) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. ...

- 5 May 1901,

Saint-Didier, Vaucluse Saint-Didier (; Provençal: ''Sant Deidier'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It has a population of 2,144 (2017). See also *Communes of the Vaucluse department The fol ...

) was a French artist in drawing, painting, and lithography who is remembered above all for his Oriental works.

Early life

One of a family of five, at the age of 12 he went to live with his brother, Jean-Joseph (1801–1890) in

Montpellier Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...

where he attended the city's art college while benefitting from his brother's artistic contacts. He went on to Paris, studying under

Paul Delaroche Hippolyte-Paul Delaroche (17 July 1797 – 4 November 1856) was a French painter who achieved his greater successes painting historical scenes. He became famous in Europe for his melodramatic depictions that often portrayed subjects from English ...

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 ...

, first exhibiting in 1840 and completing his studies in 1846."Laurens, Jules Joseph Augustin"
''Encyclopaedia Iranica''. Retrieved 28 April 2012.

Career

Laurens was chosen by the geographer Xavier Hommaire de Hell to join him on an extended scientific journey to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

and

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

(1846-1848). During this time, Laurens made over a thousand drawings of the sites, costumes and people he encountered on his travels. They included many portraits of Persian personalities. His biography "Nazar-Andaz" gives an account of de Hell's death at

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

in August 1848. Thanks to the French ambassador, Laurens was able to reach

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

from where he sent back de Hell's notes together with his own drawings. Hundreds of them were presented in the ''Atlas historique et scientifique'', the fourth volume of the ''Voyage en Turquie et en Perse'' published by de Hell's wife. Some of Laurens' lithographs were published in ''L'Illustration'' and ''Tour du Monde'', both popular periodicals, while the originals, together with his early watercolours were given to the library of the École des Beaux-Arts. Laurens also painted examples of

qajar Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

art while in Persia, including his ''Danseuse au tambourin''."Réouverture pour la saison du Musée Comtadin-Duplessis et du Musée Sobirats, Carpentras"
''Carpentras-Ventoux.com''. Retrieved 29 April 2012. Laurens continued his career in France after returning in 1849, exhibiting paintings and engravings in virtually every Salon from 1850 to 1891. He was also active in literary circles where he met many celebrities. His ''La Légende des ateliers'', published in his later days, contains anecdotes of his travels.

Works

*''Les rochers de Vann'', Musée d’Orsay *''Campagne de Téhéran'', Avignon *''L’hiver en Perse'', Bagnères *''Ruines de palais persan'', Carpentras *''La mosquée bleue à Tauris'', Montpellier *''Village fortifié dans le Khorassan'', Toulon File:Jules Laurens 20.jpg, Les rochers de Vann File:Jules Laurens 16.jpg, La Mosquée bleue à Tauris File:Jules Laurens 9.jpg, Lac et la forteresse de Van en Arménie File:Jules Laurens 14.jpg, Dans un harem de Téhéran File:Jules Laurens 17.jpg, La Baigneuse

Early life

Career

Works

References

Further reading