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

Established in 1862 by the painter and gallery owner

Louis Martinet Lucien Martinet (born 1878, date of death unknown) was a French rower who competed in the 1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympi ...

and the writer

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rem ...

, the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts was first chaired by Gautier, with the painter

Aimé Millet Aimé Millet (September 28, 1819 – January 14, 1891) was a noted French sculptor, who was born and died in Paris. Millet was the son of miniaturist Frédéric Millet (1796–1859) and uncle to Chicago architectural decorator Julian Louis Mi ...

as deputy chairman. The committee was composed of the painters

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: British ...

, Carrier-Belleuse, and

Puvis de Chavannes Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (14 December 1824 – 24 October 1898) was a French painter known for his mural painting, who came to be known as "the painter for France". He became the co-founder and president of the Société Nationale des Beau ...

, and among the exhibitors were

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 Mad ...

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (11 May 1827 – 12 October 1875) was a French sculptor and painter during the Second Empire under Napoleon III. Life Born in Valenciennes, Nord, son of a mason, his early studies were under François Rude. Carpeaux ...

Charles-François Daubigny Charles-François Daubigny ( , , ; 15 February 181719 February 1878) was a French painter, one of the members of the Barbizon school, and is considered an important precursor of impressionism. He was also a prolific printmaker, mostly in etchin ...

Gustave Doré Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré ( , , ; 6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, as a printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engravin ...

, and

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Bor ...

. In 1864, just after the death of Delacroix, the society organized a retrospective exhibition of 248 paintings and lithographs of this famous painter and step-uncle of the emperor – and ceased to mount further exhibitions. The 19th century in French art is characterised by a continuous struggle between traditionally educated artists supported by official politics, and a growing rate of artists who preferred to work individually and at their own risks. Reviewing the historical situation is difficult, even a century later. But evidently opponents to the official politics gained ground after the fall of the 2nd Empire, and were instrumental to redirect French cultural politics to liberal positions. Thus, the splitting-off of the ''Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts'' in 1890 can be considered as the first ''

Secessionist Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics l ...

'' manifestation.

1890

In 1890, the ''Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts'' was re-vitalised under the rule of

Ernest Meissonier Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (; 21 February 181531 January 1891) was a French Classicist painter and sculptor famous for his depictions of Napoleon, his armies and military themes. He documented sieges and manoeuvres and was the teacher of Édo ...

Carolus-Duran Charles Auguste Émile Durand, known as Carolus-Duran (Lille 4 July 1837 – 17 February 1917 Paris), was a French painter and art instructor. He is noted for his stylish depictions of members of high society in Third Republic France. Biograp ...

, Bracquemond and Carrier-Belleuse, and since then its annual exhibition was reviewed as the ''Salon du Champ-de-Mars'', traditionally opening a fortnight later than the official ''Salon des Champs-Élysées'', organised by the

Société des artistes français The Société des Artistes Français (, meaning "Society of French Artists") is the association of French painters and sculptors established in 1881. Its annual exhibition is called the "Salon des artistes français" (not to be confused with the ...

. Suzanne Valadon became the first female painter to be admitted to the Société in 1894.

A new way

After World War I, in 1926, the "Puvis de Chavannes" prize was created consisting in a retrospective exhibition of the main works of the prizewinning artists, in Paris. During the twentieth century, this exhibition was located at the

Grand Palais The Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées ( en, Great Palace of the Elysian Fields), commonly known as the Grand Palais ( English: Great Palace), is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th ...

or the Musée d'Art Moderne. Most famous awarded painters: * 1941: Wilhem Van Hasselt, * 1944: Jean Gabriel Domergue, * 1952: Tristan Klingsor, * 1955: Georges Delplanque, * 1957: Albert Decaris, * 1958: Jean Picard Le Doux, * 1963: Maurice Boitel, * 1966: Pierre Gaillardot, * 1968: Pierre-Henry, * 1969: Louis Vuillermoz, * 1970: Daniel du Janerand, * 1971: Jean-Pierre Alaux; * 1975: Jean Monneret, * 1987: André Hambourg. During the last decades of the 20th century, after " living treasure" Takanori Oguiss, and during the rule of chairman François Baboulet, several Japanese artists exhibited their paintings as guests of the SNBA: Takaaki Matsuda, Katsufumi Toyota, Kazuko Kobayashi, Hideo Hando, Yoko Tsuishi and Noboru Sotoyama.Société Nationale des Beaux Arts, Biennale 1991, Grand Palais, année du centenaire, catalogue pages 8 and 9

Gallery

File:Paris-Salon (IA parissalon1891pt1enau).pdf, 1891 Catalogue Cover File:Paris-Salon (IA parissalon1892pt2enau).pdf, 1892 Catalogue Cover File:Paris-Salon (IA parissalon1893pt1enau).pdf, 1893 Catalogue Cover File:Paris Salon 1904 (i.e., dix-neuf cent quatre) (IA parissalon1904ie00unse).pdf, 1904 Catalogue Cover

1862

1890

A new way

Gallery

Resources

Notes

See also

References

External links