François Bocion
Encyclopedia
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
artist and teacher.
Born in Lausanne, Bocion studied art there before going to Paris, France in 1845 to study further. Following a bout with typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
, he returned home in 1849. During the early part of his career, Bocion's interest was in the field of illustration as well as in painting historical subjects. However, influenced by the landscapes of Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, he began painting scenes from around Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
for which he is best remembered.
Bocion eventually secured a professorship at the Lausanne École Industrielle, a position he held for more than forty years. During his time there, Théophile Steinlen
Théophile Steinlen
Théophile Alexandre Steinlen, frequently referred to as just Steinlen , was a Swiss-born French Art Nouveau painter and printmaker....
and Eugène Grasset
Eugène Grasset
Eugène Samuel Grasset was a Swiss decorative artist who worked in Paris, France in a variety of creative design fields during the Belle Époque. He is considered a pioneer in Art Nouveau design.-Biography:...
, both natives of Lausanne, were his pupils and he encouraged them to expand their knowledge by moving to work and study with the burgeoning art community in Paris.