Achille Emperaire
Encyclopedia
Achille Emperaire was a French painter
and a friend of Paul Cézanne
's.
in 1829.
His friend Paul Cézanne
once said, 'Well, he didn't make it. Still, he was a lot more of a painter than all those dripping with medals and honours.'.
Emperaire took drawing lessons in Aix from 1844 to 1856, whilst Cézanne only started attending the school in 1858. Therefore the two men only met in Paris
in 1861, at the Académie Suisse
.
After graduating from the drawing school, Emperaire decided to go to Paris. From 1857 onwards, he would often go to Paris and started attending Thomas Couture
's school there. Adamant to make the grade, he would ask for help anywhere, undaunted by the prospect of living in the streets. He even wrote in his letters, 'When occasionally I can spend 80 centimes on a meal, it feels like an orgy. [...] The rest of the time, to skip a meal, I quell my hunger by eating bread crumbs with wine and sugar.'. Also, 'Paris is a massive tomb, an unquestionable and awful mirage for most people. While a few get along, most of us fail, believe me.'
On the eve of his first exhibition in Paris, he applied varnish on his canvas. The next day, the painting was in pieces. Traumatised, he would never use varnish again, which explains why a lot of his paintings have vanished.. It is only thanks to Joseph Ravaisou
's son that some paintings are still there to be seen.
By serendipity, he was commissioned a painting for the Louvre Museum and earned 1.000 francs for it, a hefty sum at the time. This money enabled him to pay for some debts and for his trip back to Aix in October 1873.. It was only in 1873 that he met Joachim Gasquet
in Aix, who would turn out to be Emperaire's best friend up until his death.
Although he went back to Paris in 1881 and again in 1882, when he was honoured with becoming a member of the Société libre des Artistes français, he would hardly leave Aix from 1873 onwards, living at 2, place des Prêcheurs.
While in Aix, Emperaire liked to go painting in the Tholonet
.
He was known for being headstrong; Gasquet once mentioned his 'unwavering bravery and unquestioning pride', someone who, on his deathbed, still had faith in « the beauty, the art and the genius of the world ».
He died in his flat at 16, rue Émeric-David in Aix, on 8 January 1898.
, whom he met through Charles Suisse in the early 1860s, he rejected his style. Indeed, for his nudes and landscapes, he preferred to use thick material.
For John Rewald, Emperaire, 'was able to loop out of Cézanne's influence, and his work denotes a surprising personality and a most peculiar strand.'. »
He had a passion for Titian
and Edouard Manet
.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and a friend of Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
's.
Biography
Achille Emperaire was born as a dwarf and a hunchback, in Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
in 1829.
His friend Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
once said, 'Well, he didn't make it. Still, he was a lot more of a painter than all those dripping with medals and honours.'.
Emperaire took drawing lessons in Aix from 1844 to 1856, whilst Cézanne only started attending the school in 1858. Therefore the two men only met in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1861, at the Académie Suisse
Académie Suisse
The Académie Suisse was an art school founded by Charles Suisse, and was located at the corner of the Quai des Orfévres and the Boulevard du Palais, in Paris...
.
After graduating from the drawing school, Emperaire decided to go to Paris. From 1857 onwards, he would often go to Paris and started attending Thomas Couture
Thomas Couture
Thomas Couture was an influential French history painter and teacher. Couture taught such later luminaries of the art world as Édouard Manet, Henri Fantin-Latour, John La Farge, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, Karel Javůrek, and J-N Sylvestre.-Life:He was born at Senlis, Oise, France...
's school there. Adamant to make the grade, he would ask for help anywhere, undaunted by the prospect of living in the streets. He even wrote in his letters, 'When occasionally I can spend 80 centimes on a meal, it feels like an orgy. [...] The rest of the time, to skip a meal, I quell my hunger by eating bread crumbs with wine and sugar.'. Also, 'Paris is a massive tomb, an unquestionable and awful mirage for most people. While a few get along, most of us fail, believe me.'
On the eve of his first exhibition in Paris, he applied varnish on his canvas. The next day, the painting was in pieces. Traumatised, he would never use varnish again, which explains why a lot of his paintings have vanished.. It is only thanks to Joseph Ravaisou
Joseph Ravaisou
Joseph Ravaisou was a French landscape painter.-Biography:In 1878 Joseph Ravaisou moved to Aix-en-Provence to work as a school teacher, and subsequently became a music conductor and a music critic....
's son that some paintings are still there to be seen.
By serendipity, he was commissioned a painting for the Louvre Museum and earned 1.000 francs for it, a hefty sum at the time. This money enabled him to pay for some debts and for his trip back to Aix in October 1873.. It was only in 1873 that he met Joachim Gasquet
Joachim Gasquet
Joachim Gasquet was a French writer, poet, and art critic born in Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône. He is best known for his writing about the artists of his era, particularly Paul Cézanne, who was his friend...
in Aix, who would turn out to be Emperaire's best friend up until his death.
Although he went back to Paris in 1881 and again in 1882, when he was honoured with becoming a member of the Société libre des Artistes français, he would hardly leave Aix from 1873 onwards, living at 2, place des Prêcheurs.
While in Aix, Emperaire liked to go painting in the Tholonet
Le Tholonet
Le Tholonet is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Its inhabitants are called Tholonétiens.-Geography:...
.
He was known for being headstrong; Gasquet once mentioned his 'unwavering bravery and unquestioning pride', someone who, on his deathbed, still had faith in « the beauty, the art and the genius of the world ».
He died in his flat at 16, rue Émeric-David in Aix, on 8 January 1898.
Work and themes
Although he was friends with Paul CézannePaul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically different world of art in the 20th century. Cézanne can be said to form the bridge between late 19th...
, whom he met through Charles Suisse in the early 1860s, he rejected his style. Indeed, for his nudes and landscapes, he preferred to use thick material.
For John Rewald, Emperaire, 'was able to loop out of Cézanne's influence, and his work denotes a surprising personality and a most peculiar strand.'. »
He had a passion for Titian
Titian
Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488/1490 – 27 August 1576 better known as Titian was an Italian painter, the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near...
and Edouard Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
.
Paintings
- Nu couché
- Baigneuse de Saul (au revers un autoportrait)
- Portrait de femme en buste (au revers un nu couché)
- Paysage de la campagne d'Aix
- Nature morte ou pichet (au revers deux amazones traversant un bois)
- Nature morte aux pêches ainsi que plusieurs dessins