Jean-Paul Marie Saïn (5 December 1853,

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region of So ...

– 6 March 1908, Avignon) was a French painter, known primarily for landscapes and portraits.

Biography

He studied at the "", where he received first prize for painting from live models and, in 1873, a prize for drawing from the

Musée Calvet Mus or MUS may refer to: Abbreviations * MUS, the NATO country code for Mauritius * MUS, the IATA airport code for Minami Torishima Airport * MUS, abbreviation for the Centre for Modern Urban Studies on Campus The Hague, Leiden University, Neth ...

. These awards brought him a scholarship to study in Paris 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 ...

in the workshop of

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 ...

, where he remained until 1877. After that, he shared a studio with

Paul Avril Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

and several others. At the time, he mostly painted seascapes. His first exhibit 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 ...

was in 1879, but he did not begin to show there on a regular basis until 1887. Later, together with his friend,

Pierre Grivolas Pierre Grivolas (2 September 1823, Avignon - 5 February 1906, Avignon) was a French painter; known for landscapes, portraits and genre scenes. Biography After displaying an early talent for drawing, his parents enrolled him in art classes. In ...

and his student, , he would visit the banks of the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

, near Avignon, and the village of Les Angles to paint en

plein aire ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

. He became a frequent visitor to

Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei () is a commune in the Orne department in north-western France. It lies on the river Sarthe from Alençon, the chef-lieu of the department, and some west of Paris. History The place is named for Serenicus (or ''Generi ...

, a picturesque village that attracted many painters, and would come to live there for twenty-five years. He made numerous portraits in nearby Moisy, at the local inn, and is believed to have created more than 1600 portraits altogether. In 1887, he made an extended visit to Algeria and 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 ...

in 1895. Five years later, he was one of numerous artists chosen to provide decorations for the restaurant at the

Gare de Lyon The Gare de Lyon, officially Paris-Gare-de-Lyon, is one of the six large mainline railway stations in Paris, France. It handles about 148.1 million passengers annually according to the estimates of the SNCF in 2018, with SNCF railways and RER D ...

(now known as ''

Le Train Bleu The ''Calais-Mediterranée Express'' was a French luxury night express train which operated from 1886 to 2003. It gained international fame as the preferred train of wealthy and famous passengers between Calais and the French Riviera during the ...

''), where he painted scenes from Avignon. He is buried at the Cemetery of Saint-Véran in Avignon and his tomb is decorated with a bronze medallion by

Félix Charpentier Félix Charpentier (10 January 1858 in Bollène in Vaucluse – 1924) was a French sculptor. His work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the 1924 Summer Olympics. Biography Félix Charpentier's father worked in a brick ...

. A street near there has been named after him and, later, the city of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei commissioned Christian Malézieux (born 1931), to do a bronze bust of him for the village's main street.Picture of the bust (top row)
@ Malézieux's website.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sain, Paul 1853 births 1908 deaths 19th-century French painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French portrait painters French landscape painters École des Beaux-Arts Recipients of the Legion of Honour Orientalist painters Artists from Avignon 19th-century French male artists

Biography

References

Further reading

External links