Eugène Louis Gabriel Isabey (; 22 July 1803 – 25 April 1886) was a French painter,

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German ...

and

watercolorist Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting metho ...

in the Romantic style.

Biography

He was born to

Jean-Baptiste Isabey Jean-Baptiste Isabey (; 11 April 1767 – 18 April 1855) was a French artist during both the First Empire and the Restoration. Early life and education Isabey was born in Nancy, France on 11 April 1767. At the age of 19, following some lessons ...

, a well known painter who enjoyed the patronage of the

House of Bonaparte The House of Bonaparte (originally ''Buonaparte'') is a former imperial and royal European dynasty of French and Italian origin. It was founded in 1804 by Napoleon I, the son of Corsican nobleman Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Buonaparte (née ...

. Originally, he wanted to be a sailor, but his father insisted that he study painting; a turnabout from the usual situation where the family opposes an artistic career in favor of something more practical. After studying with his father and copying the

Old Masters In art history, "Old Master" (or "old master")Old Masters De ...

at the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

, he began sharing a studio with the landscape painter Xavier Leprince at

Honfleur Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from Le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Hon ...

in 1824, then moved to Saint-Siméon after Leprince's untimely death. The following year, he sent some landscapes to the

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, ...

for his first formal exhibition. In 1831, he was chosen to accompany a diplomatic mission to Morocco, led by the Comte de Mornay, but he politely refused. He had just returned from a short trip to

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

, where he had painted scenes of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

's campaign, and was concerned that the situation there was still too unsettled to make a lengthy stay. He was replaced by his friend,

Eugène Delacroix Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix ( ; ; 26 April 1798 – 13 August 1863) was a French people, French Romanticism, Romantic artist who was regarded as the leader of the French Romantic school.Noon, Patrick, et al., ''Crossing the Channel: ...

, who created over 100 works that are now considered classics of

Orientalism In art history, literature, and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world (or "Orient") by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle ...

. Shortly after, Isabey became a

court painter A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or princely family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Painters were the most common, but the cour ...

for King

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe I (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850), nicknamed the Citizen King, was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, the penultimate monarch of France, and the last French monarch to bear the title "King". He abdicated from his throne ...

and was named a Knight in the

Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1832. One of his best known paintings was done during this period, in 1840, depicting the return of Napoleon's remains from

Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

aboard the '' Belle Poule''. He favored historical paintings,

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

scenes and landscapes, but also executed numerous canvases depicting storms and shipwrecks, possibly reflecting his own thwarted career plans. During a trip to England, he was known to have studied the works of

J. M. W. Turner Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 177519 December 1851), known in his time as William Turner, was an English Romantic painter, printmaker and watercolourist. He is known for his expressive colouring, imaginative landscapes and turbu ...

. He was especially skillful at rendering subtleties in darker colors; which might be called a form of

grisaille Grisaille ( or ; , from ''gris'' 'grey') means in general any European painting that is painted in grey. History Giotto used grisaille in the lower registers of his frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua () and Robert Campin, Jan van Ey ...

. He took in students on a regular basis; including

Eugène Boudin Eugène Louis Boudin (; 12 July 1824 – 8 August 1898) was one of the first French landscape painters to paint outdoors. Boudin was a marine painter, and expert in the rendering of all that goes upon the sea and along its shores. His pastels, ...

, Johan Barthold Jongkind and Durand-Brager. In his later years, he turned from marine painting to historical scenes, usually of a violent nature, such as massacres, duels and robberies. A primary school in Montévrain has been named in his honor.Schools
@ the official website of Montévrain.

Selected paintings

File:Repatriación de las cenizas de Napoleón a bordo de la Belle Poule, por Eugène Isabey.jpg, The ''Belle Poule'' bringing
Napoleon's ashes to France File:Eugène Isabey Schmuggler am Strand.jpg, Smugglers on the Beach File:Le naufrage de l'Emily-Eugène Isabey mg 8261.jpg, Shipwreck of the ''Emily'' File:De ruyter de witt texel img 9310.jpg, The Embarkment of De Ruyter at
the

Battle of Texel The naval Battle of Texel or Battle of Kijkduin took place off the western coast of the island of Texel on 21 August 1673 (11 August O.S.) between the Dutch and the combined English and French fleets. It was the last major battle of the T ...

File:Eugene Isabey - Beach at Low Tide.jpg, Beach at Low Tide File:Funeral of a Naval Officer, under Louis XVI by Eugène Isabey.jpg, Funeral of a Naval Officer, under Louis XVI File:Eugène Isabey - Fishing Village - Village de Pêcheurs.png, Village de Pêcheurs (Fishing Village)

References

External links

Arcadja Auctions: More works by Isabey.

Biographical notes
@ The Famous Artists
Isabey exhibition (2012)
@ the Louvre website. {{DEFAULTSORT:Isabey, Eugene 1803 births 1886 deaths 19th-century French painters Painters from Paris French draughtsmen 19th-century French illustrators French male painters French landscape painters French marine artists Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Recipients of the Legion of Honour 19th-century French male artists 19th-century French lithographers

Biography

Selected paintings

References

Further reading

External links