Louis Ferdinand Antoni (15 November 1872,
Bastia
Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...
– 14 December 1940,
Algiers
Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques ...
) was a French
Orientalist painter and sculptor.
Biography
Not long after his birth, his family moved from
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
to Algeria. There, he studied at the Collège St-Charles in
Blida
Blida ( ar, البليدة; Berber languages, Tamazight: Leblida) is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name ''Blida'', i.e. ''bulaydah'' ...
, then at the Lycée in Algiers. He was there only a short time before transferring to the , where he studied with . In 1892, he obtained a scholarship that enabled him to study in Paris; at the
École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts
The Beaux-Arts de Paris is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level arts education and training. This is classical and historical School of Fine Arts in France. The art school, which is part of the Paris Science ...
, and in the studios of
Léon Bonnat
Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts.
Early life
Bonnat was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 he lived in M ...
. His primary artistic influences were
Eugène Delacroix
Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( , ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French Romantic artist regarded from the outset of his career as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: Britis ...
and the
Impressionists
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...
.
After leaving Paris, he returned to Algeria, where he exhibited in the local salons, but also participated in showings at the . In 1906, he married the artist, Marie Gautier (c.1870–?), who introduced him to the art of color engraving. This soon became his primary enthusiasm, producing numerous
etching
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...
s that were published in France. After this, he exhibited exclusively with the
Société nationale des beaux-arts
Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts (SNBA; ; en, National Society of Fine Arts) was the term under which two groups of French artists united, the first for some exhibitions in the early 1860s, the second since 1890 for annual exhibitions.
1862
Es ...
.
In 1909, he was awarded a grant to travel throughout
French West Africa
French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...
; visiting
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
,
Côte d'Ivoire
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
,
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
,
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
and
Timbuktu
Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou;
Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...
, in the
French Sudan
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
. It was a very busy, fruitful period that produced numerous etchings and canvases. Following this trip, he returned to Paris to study
fresco
Fresco (plural ''frescos'' or ''frescoes'') is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaste ...
painting.
In 1912, he was appointed Professor of Decorative Arts at his alma mater, the École des beaux-arts, and held that position until his death. Two years later, he enlisted as a soldier and was wounded in battle, for which he was decorated with 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 ...
. After the death of
Léon Cauvy
Léon Cauvy (12 January 1874, Montpellier – 3 January 1933, Algiers) was a French Orientalist painter.
Biography
He began his studies in 1890 at the local School of Fine Arts; winning several awards for his sketches and ink wash paintings ...
, in 1933, he became the École's Director.
His works may be seen at the
Musée National des Beaux-Arts d'Alger
The National Museum of Fine Arts in Algiers (french: Musée national des Beaux-Arts d'Alger) is one of the largest art museums in Africa. Opened to the public since 5 May 1930, it is located in the Hamma district, next to the Hamma test gar ...
,
Ahmed Zabana National Museum
The Ahmed Zabana National Museum ( ar, المتحف الوطني أحمد زبانة, ''El-mathaf El-ouatani Ahmed Zabana'') is a museum located in Oran, Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, m ...
, and the
Musée du Luxembourg
The Musée du Luxembourg () is a museum at 19 rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Established in 1750, it was initially an art museum located in the east wing of the Luxembourg Palace (the matching west wing housed the Marie de' M ...
.
Sources
* Marion Vidal-Bué, ''Alger et ses peintres 1830-1962'', éditions Paris Méditerranée, 2000
* Elisabeth Cazenave, ''Les artistes de l'Algérie'', Bernard Giovanangeli, éditions Association Abd-el-Tif, 2001
Biographyby Robert Randau @ the Cercle Algérianiste
External links
More works by Antoni@ ArtNet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antoni, Louis Ferdinand
1872 births
1940 deaths
19th-century French painters
French orientalists
French people in French Algeria
People from Bastia
Algerian painters
20th-century French painters