Hippolyte Boulenger
Encyclopedia
Hippolyte Emmanuel Boulenger (1837–1874) was a Belgian landscape painter influenced by the French Barbizon school
, considered to be "the Belgian Corot
".
in 1837. He spent his youth in Tournai and lived in Paris
between 1850 and 1853, where he studied drawing. In 1853, after he became an orphan, he went to Brussels
to work at a design atelier. In the evening, he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
with Joseph Quinaux
, a landscape painter.
He met portrait painter Camille Van Camp in 1863, who became a mentor and mecenas. He showed his first painting in the Brussels Salon the same year. Boulenger went to Tervuren
in 1864, and called round him a group of likeminded painters gathered there, the School van Tervuren, a Belgian version of the Barbizon school, of which he became the leading artist. At the time, his leading model was Jean-François Millet
, although his later work was closer to that of Corot. By 1866, he was famous in Belgian art circles.
He married in 1868 and moved to Zaventem
, but returned to Tervuren in 1870. These years were his best and most fruitful period, with e.g. the painting De oude Haagbeukdreef. Tervuren, which won him the Gold Medal of the 1872 Salon of Brussels. In this period, he travelled in Belgium and abroad, painting along the River Meuse
. It was his suggestion that led to the creation of the Société Libre des Beaux-Arts
, an art circle of young Belgian artists, including Alfred Verwée, Félicien Rops
, and Constantin Meunier
, with honorary members from abroad like Corot and Millet, but also Honoré Daumier
, Gustave Courbet
and Willem Maris
.
By 1869, he began to suffer from epilepsy
. Coupled with alcohol abuse, this led to an early death, in 1874 in a hotel in Brussels.
Barbizon school
The Barbizon school of painters were part of a movement towards realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic Movement of the time. The Barbizon school was active roughly from 1830 through 1870...
, considered to be "the Belgian Corot
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot
Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was a French landscape painter and printmaker in etching. Corot was the leading painter of the Barbizon school of France in the mid-nineteenth century...
".
Biography
Hippolyte Boulenger was born to French parents in TournaiTournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
in 1837. He spent his youth in Tournai and lived 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...
between 1850 and 1853, where he studied drawing. In 1853, after he became an orphan, he went to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
to work at a design atelier. In the evening, he studied at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts
The Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels is an art school, founded in 1711.The faculty and alumni of ARBA include some of the most famous names in Belgian painting, sculpture, and architecture: James Ensor, Rene Magritte, and Paul Delvaux...
with Joseph Quinaux
Joseph Quinaux
Joseph Quinaux was a Belgian painter, known especially for his landscapes.Quinaux was born in Namen. He was a lecturer and teacher of painting at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels from 1876 until his death in Schaarbeek in 1895, conducting the landscape class. Among his pupils were...
, a landscape painter.
He met portrait painter Camille Van Camp in 1863, who became a mentor and mecenas. He showed his first painting in the Brussels Salon the same year. Boulenger went to Tervuren
Tervuren
Tervuren is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren, Vossem and Moorsel. On January 1, 2006, Tervuren had a total population of 20,636...
in 1864, and called round him a group of likeminded painters gathered there, the School van Tervuren, a Belgian version of the Barbizon school, of which he became the leading artist. At the time, his leading model was Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet
Jean-François Millet was a French painter and one of the founders of the Barbizon school in rural France...
, although his later work was closer to that of Corot. By 1866, he was famous in Belgian art circles.
He married in 1868 and moved to Zaventem
Zaventem
Zaventem is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Nossegem, Sint-Stevens-Woluwe, Sterrebeek and Zaventem proper. On January 1, 2006 Zaventem had a total population of 28,651...
, but returned to Tervuren in 1870. These years were his best and most fruitful period, with e.g. the painting De oude Haagbeukdreef. Tervuren, which won him the Gold Medal of the 1872 Salon of Brussels. In this period, he travelled in Belgium and abroad, painting along the River Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. It was his suggestion that led to the creation of the Société Libre des Beaux-Arts
Société Libre des Beaux-Arts
The Société Libre des Beaux-Arts was an organization formed in 1868 by Belgian artists to react against academicism and to advance Realist painting and artistic freedom. Based in Brussels, the society was active until 1876, by which time the aesthetic values it espoused had infiltrated the...
, an art circle of young Belgian artists, including Alfred Verwée, Félicien Rops
Félicien Rops
Félicien Rops was a Belgian artist, and printmaker in etching and aquatint.-Early life:Rops was born in Namur as the only son to Nicholas Rops and Sophie Maubile. He was educated at the University of Brussels...
, and Constantin Meunier
Constantin Meunier
Constantin Meunier , Belgian painter and sculptor, was born in Etterbeek, Brussels.His first exhibit was a plaster sketch, "The Garland," shown at the Brussels Salon in 1851. Soon afterwards, on the advice of the painter Charles de Groux, he abandoned the chisel for the brush...
, with honorary members from abroad like Corot and Millet, but also Honoré Daumier
Honoré Daumier
Honoré Daumier was a French printmaker, caricaturist, painter, and sculptor, whose many works offer commentary on social and political life in France in the 19th century....
, Gustave Courbet
Gustave Courbet
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet was a French painter who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting. The Realist movement bridged the Romantic movement , with the Barbizon School and the Impressionists...
and Willem Maris
Willem Maris
Willem Maris was a Dutch landscape painter of the Hague School.Willem was the third in a family of five children. His two brothers Jacob and Matthijs Maris preceded him as painters...
.
By 1869, he began to suffer from epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
. Coupled with alcohol abuse, this led to an early death, in 1874 in a hotel in Brussels.
Works
- Josaphat Valley at Schaarbeek, 1868, Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp
- After the evening storm, 1869, Museum of Fine Arts, GhentMuseum of Fine Arts, GhentThe Museum of Fine Arts ) in Ghent, Belgium, is situated at the East side of the Citadelpark .The museum holds a large permanent collection of art from the Middle Ages until mid 20th Century. The collection focuses on Flemish Art but also has several European- especially French- paintings...
- The Inundation, 1871, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of BelgiumRoyal Museums of Fine Arts of BelgiumThe Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium , is one of the most famous museums in Belgium.-The museum:...
, Brussels (this museum has a substantial collection of works by Boulenger, including the 1871 Mass of Saint-Hubert)