Émile Schuffenecker
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Claude-Émile Schuffenecker (8 December 1851 – 31 July 1934) was a French
Post-Impressionist Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction a ...
artist, painter, art teacher and art collector. A friend of
Paul Gauguin Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (; ; 7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer, whose work has been primarily associated with the Post-Impressionist and Symbolist movements. He was also an influ ...
and
Odilon Redon Odilon Redon (born Bertrand Redon; ; 20 April 18406 July 1916) was a French Symbolist painting, Symbolist draftsman, printmaker, and painter. Early in his career, both before and after fighting in the Franco-Prussian War, Redon worked almost exc ...
, and one of the first collectors of works by
Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...
, Schuffenecker was instrumental in establishing The Volpini Exhibition, in 1889.


Biography

Claude-Émile Schuffenecker, son of Nicolas Schuffenecker (1829–1854) and Anne Monnet (1836–1907) was born in
Fresne-Saint-Mamès Fresne-Saint-Mamès is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Haute-Saône department The following is a list of the 536 communes in the French departm ...
(
Haute-Saône Haute-Saône (; Frainc-Comtou: ''Hâte-Saône''; English: Upper Saône) is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of northeastern France. Named after the river Saône, it had a population of 235,313 in 2019.
). His father, a tailor originating from Guewenheim (
Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
, today
Haut-Rhin Haut-Rhin (); Alsatian: ''Owerelsàss'' or '; , . is a department in the Grand Est region, France, bordering both Germany and Switzerland. It is named after the river Rhine; its name means Upper Rhine. Haut-Rhin is the smaller and less pop ...
), died when Émile was little more than two years old; the same year his brother Amédée was born in Charentenay (Haut-Rhin). The widow with her two boys moved to
Meudon Meudon () is a French Communes of France, commune located in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department in the ÃŽle-de-France Regions of France, region, on the left bank of the Seine. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, center of P ...
, close to Paris, where part of her mother's family lived, and where she had found work at a laundry. In the years to follow Émile was raised by his mother's sister, Anne Fauconnet Monnet, and her husband Pierre Cornu in Paris, educated by the Frères des Ecoles chrétiennes, and started work in his uncle's business, a chocolate and coffee-roasting facility in the
Les Halles Les Halles (; 'The Halls') was Paris' central fresh food market. It last operated on 12 January 1973 and was replaced by an underground shopping centre and a park. The unpopular modernist development was demolished yet again in 2010, and replac ...
quarter. On 28 February 1872, Schuffenecker joined the broker Bertin, where he met Paul Gauguin; they became close friends. Both used to study the Old Masters at the Louvre, and worked at the
Académie Colarossi The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...
. In 1880, Schuffenecker married a cousin, Louise Lançon (1860-); their daughter Jeanne was born in 1882, their son Paul in 1884. In these years, however, the economic situation decreased. By 1880, both Schuffenecker and Gauguin evidently had gained enough money to leave Bertin—just in time before the French
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
project began to turn into a disaster—and to try to stand on their own feet: Both opted for a career in the arts, and probably for additional income at the stock exchange. Then, in January 1882, the Paris Bourse crashed, and while Gauguin chose to remain independent, Schuffenecker decided to apply for the diploma to teach. Two years later, he was appointed to teach drawing at the Lycée Michelet in
Vanves Vanves () is a Communes of France, commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe and the tenth in France. History On ...
, with the painter
Louis Roy Louis Roy (20 July 1959 – disappeared 23 June 2000), better known as "Mélou", was a Canadian outlaw biker and gangster, said to have been the richest Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Hells Angel in Quebec. Biography Roy was born and grew up in ...
as a collegial friend. Much has been said about Gauguin's portrait of "le bon Schuff" and his family, painted early in 1889 in Schuffenecker's studio, soon after Gauguin's return from Arles: judging from Gauguin's portrait, the personal relations of the couple are widely considered to have been precarious. Since Gauguin's return from Denmark, in 1885, he had been welcome to stay at Schuffenecker's, but soon after his return from Brittany in 1890, Gauguin was asked to find a place elsewhere. Rumours (most probably initiated by
Émile Bernard Émile Henri Bernard (; 28 April 1868 – 16 April 1941) was a French Post-Impressionist painter and writer, who had artistic friendships with Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Eugène Boch, and at a later time, Paul Cézanne. Most of his no ...
) spread that Schuffenecker had been betrayed by his wife, and for years, he separated himself from his family, until in 1899, his wife demanded a divorce and won the right of custody over their children. He left the Lycée in 1914. Schuffenecker died in Paris, 33 rue Olivier de Serres, on July 31, 1934, and was buried at the Montparnasse cemetery on 3 August.


Artist

Together with Gauguin, Schuffenecker was trained at the Académie Suisse, in 1872, and at the
Académie Colarossi The Académie Colarossi (1870–1930) was an art school in Paris founded in 1870 by the Italian model and sculptor Filippo Colarossi. It was originally located on the Île de la Cité, and it moved in 1879 to 10 rue de la Grande-Chaumière in the ...
, in 1883—but his point of depart was, in 1866, the private atelier of Paul Baudry. In 1869 he received a "first-class mention in design" as a pupil of Father Athanase, and from 1872 to 1881, he continued his training with
Carolus-Duran Charles Auguste Émile Durand, known as Carolus-Duran (4 July 1837 – 17 February 1917), was a French painter and art instructor. He is noted for his stylish depictions of members of Upper class, high society in French Third Republic, Third Rep ...
, admittance to the annual
Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...
included. In 1882 and 1883, however, his paintings were refused by the Salon jury. So Schuffenecker, in 1884, joined the
Société des Artistes Indépendants The Société des Artistes Indépendants (, ''Society of Independent Artists'') or Salon des Indépendants was formed in Paris on 29 July 1884. The association began with the organization of massive exhibitions in Paris, choosing the slogan "''sa ...
and, in 1886, the
Impressionists Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subjec ...
in their 8th and final exhibition.


Art collector

Jean de Rotonchamp, Gauguin's first biographer, described Schuffenecker's collection at 14, rue Durand-Claye, in 1906: Besides paintings by Gauguin such as ''
The Yellow Christ ''The Yellow Christ'' (in French: ''Le Christ jaune'') is a painting executed by Paul Gauguin in 1889 in Pont-Aven. Together with '' The Green Christ'', it is considered to be one of the key works of Symbolism in symbolic mythological paintings of ...
'' and some of his ceramics, there were works by Cézanne, including a female portrait, and several works by Vincent van Gogh, a ''
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'', an '' Olive orchard in Provence'', '' The Good Samaritan'', an '' Arlésienne'' and a version of the '' Sunflowers''.
Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...
prints and some Redon complete Rotonchamp's survey.


Alleged forgery

Since the late 1920s, Schuffenecker is suspected to have '' imitated'' the work of other contemporary artists including
Vincent van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...
. When the Wacker scandal emerged and Schuffenecker's name was dropped, cautious voices already claimed that a ''young Swiss artist'' (!) inspired by Van Gogh cannot be blamed. Some sketches and drawings prove that Schuffenecker carefully studied works by Van Gogh in his possession. But there is also evidence that Schuffenecker went a step further and "completed" paintings he considered to be unfinished. In 1927, he himself frankly admitted to having "finished" the '' Large Tree at Montbriand'', then in the collection of Maurice Gangnat, as well as other works by
Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...
: a landscape from L'Estaque as well as a portrait of his wife, and a view of the pool at the Jas de Bouffan. Presumably, Schuffenecker also embellished versions of Van Gogh's '' Sunflowers'' and '' Daubigny's Garden'' slightly, both since 1894 in his possession. This was possibly done simply to adapt a painting to a frame he had at hand, which is the reason he mentioned to Maximilien Gauthier. But up to now, it has never been established that Schuffenecker indeed forged, comprising the intention to betray. Jill-Elyse Grossvogel stated in the preface to her catalogue raisonné: "We can now confirm the fact, based on the most recent research, that Schuffenecker did no forgeries of Van Gogh's paintings prior to 1900. It is too soon to specify titles and dates of forged works post-1900 until additional evidence is carefully reviewed."Grossvogel 2000, p. LII


Notes


References

* Boudot-Lamotte, Maurice: ''Le peintre et collectionneur Claude-Emile Schuffenecker (1851-1934)'', L'Amour de l'Art XVII/8, October 1936, pp. 284 * Puget, Catherine, & Grossvogel, Jill-Elyse: ''Emile Schuffenecker 1851-1934'', Musée de Pont-Aven & (Saint-Germain-en-Laye,) Musée Maurice Denis "Le Prieuré", 1996

* Grossvogel, Jill-Elyse: ''Claude-Emile Schuffenecker, Catalogue raisonné, volume I'', Alan Wofsky Fine Arts, San Francisco, 2000 * Grossvogel, David I.: ''Behind the Van Gogh Forgeries'', Authors Choice Press (March 2001) /


External links

*
Sacramento Bee - ''Efforts to authenticate painting brushed off by museum''



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{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuffenecker, Emile 1851 births 1934 deaths 19th-century French painters French male painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists French Post-impressionist painters French art collectors Art forgers Alsatian-German people Pont-Aven painters Académie Colarossi alumni 19th-century French male artists