Simon Jacques Rochard (28 December 1788 – 10 June 1872) was a painter of
portrait miniatures in France, England and Brussels in the first half of the nineteenth century.
He was born in Paris to René Rochard and Marie Madeleine Talon. He showed early talent and, after his father died, helped support his mother and eleven siblings by drawing portraits. Rochard studied under
Étienne Aubry and 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 centur ...
. He also studied miniature-painting from Emilie Bounieu (daughter of
Michel Honoré Bounieu). At only twenty he painted a portrait of the
Empress Joséphine
Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810 ...
for
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
and later other portraits of the imperial family.
After Napoleon's return from Elba in 1815, he was drafted into the army but deserted and went to
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. There he received commissions to paint miniatures including at least one of the
Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...
leader of the forces opposing Napoleon. Shortly after he moved to London and became very popular, painting numerous miniatures of members of the upper class such as
Princess Charlotte Princess Charlotte may refer to:
People
* Charlotte Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1694–1715), wife of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich of Russia and mother of Tsar Peter II, Emperor of Russia
* Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans (1700–1761), wife of ...
. He exhibited mostly at the
Royal Academy of Arts from 1816 to 1845.
[ This lists the works displayed at the Royal Academy.]
In 1846, he moved to Brussels where he exhibited at the Salon there until 1869. He also exhibited at the
Paris Salon in 1852 and the
International Exposition of 1867 in Paris. He died in 1872.
Marriage and family
His first marriage to Henriette Petitjean ended in a separation
but left Rochard with a daughter, Eugenie, born in 1814,
who married an English officer. At the age of 80 (circa 1868) he married Henriette Pilton, by whom he had one son.
(However his son, Jean Simon Rochard, was apparently born before 1856.)
His younger brother, François Theodore Rochard (1798–1857), joined him in London around 1820. He was also a popular portrait painter specializing in miniatures and in water colors and won two silver medals from the new
Society of British Artists
The Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) is a British art body established in 1823 as the Society of British Artists, as an alternative to the Royal Academy.
History
The RBA commenced with twenty-seven members, and took until 1876 to reach fif ...
in 1823. He retired after his marriage in 1850 and died on 31 October 1857 in London.
Gallery of Rochard Paintings
Most of these are miniatures.
Augustus d'Este young.jpg, Augustus Frederick d'Este
Simon Jacques Rochard - Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane - B1974.2.88 - Yale Center for British Art.jpg, Thomas Brisbane
Major General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, 1st Baronet, (23 July 1773 – 27 January 1860), was a British Army officer, administrator, and astronomer. Upon the recommendation of the Duke of Wellington, with whom he had served, he was appoint ...
(painted 1819)
Lady Smith and Her Children MET DP808089.jpg, Lady Smith and her children (painted ?1824)Frederick Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry
Frederick William Robert Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry (1805–1872), styled Viscount Castlereagh from 1822 to 1854, was a British nobleman and Tory politician. He was briefly Vice-Chamberlain of the Household under Sir Robert Peel bet ...
(painted 1833)
EarlOfAuckland.JPG, George Eden
George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland, (25 August 1784 – 1 January 1849) was an English Whig politician and colonial administrator. He was thrice First Lord of the Admiralty and also served as Governor-General of India between 1836 and 1842 ...
(painted 1835)Emily Eden
Emily Eden (3 March 1797 – 5 August 1869) was an English poet and novelist who gave witty accounts of English life in the early 19th century. She wrote a celebrated account of her travels in India, and two novels that sold well. She was also a ...
(George Eden's sister) with her spaniel, Chance (painted 1835)
Okänd man (Simon Jacques Rochard) - Nationalmuseum - 149995.tif, Unknown man (painted 1836)
Prosper Merimee2.jpg, Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée (; 28 September 1803 – 23 September 1870) was a French writer in the movement of Romanticism, and one of the pioneers of the novella, a short novel or long short story. He was also a noted archaeologist and historian, and a ...
(painted 1852)
Simon-Jacques Rochard - Gertrude Anne Barnardiston Yates - Google Art Project.jpg, Gertrude Ann Barnardiston Yates (painted 1853)
External links
*, a portrait by François Theodore Rochard, for Heath's Book of Beauty, 1836, engraved by H.Cook, with illustrative verse by
Letitia Elizabeth Landon
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L.
The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...
.
*, by François Theodore Rochard, engraved by T. Hollis for The Cabinet of Modern Art, 1837, with a poetical illustration by
Letitia Elizabeth Landon
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L.
The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...
* by François Theodore Rochard, engraved by Henry Cook for Heath's Book of Beauty, 1838, with a poetical illustration by
Letitia Elizabeth Landon
Letitia Elizabeth Landon (14 August 1802 – 15 October 1838) was an English poet and novelist, better known by her initials L.E.L.
The writings of Landon are transitional between Romanticism and the Victorian Age. Her first major breakthrough ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rochard, Simon
1788 births
1872 deaths
19th-century French painters
Painters from Paris
Portrait miniaturists
École des Beaux-Arts alumni
French male painters
19th-century French male artists