Hugues Merle
Encyclopedia
Hugues Merle was a 19th-century French painter
. He mostly depicted sentimental or moral subjects. He has often been compared with William-Adolphe Bouguereau
.
. Merle started exhibiting at the Salon (Paris) in 1847. He received second class prices in 1861 and 1863. In 1966 he was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
Hugues Merle became a friend of Paul Durand-Ruel
's in the early 1860s. Durand-Ruel had started buying paintings by Merle in 1862 and introduced Merle to William-Adolphe Bouguereau. Merle would then often be compared to Bouguereau and even “became a considerable rival of Bouguereau in subject and treatment”. In the mid 1860s, Merle painted several portraits of Paul Durand-Ruel
, his wife and their son, John.
Hugues Merle died in 1881 in Paris
. His son Georges Merle
, was also a painter.
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...
. He mostly depicted sentimental or moral subjects. He has often been compared with William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter. William Bouguereau was a traditionalist; in his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of Classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body.-Life and career :William-Adolphe...
.
Biography
Hugues Merle was born in 1823 in Saint Martin. He studied painting with Léon CognietLéon Cogniet
Léon Cogniet was a French historical and portrait painter.- Biography :Cogniet was born in Paris. In 1812, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he studied under Pierre-Narcisse Guérin at the same time as Delacroix and Géricault. In 1817 he won the Prix de Rome and was a resident at...
. Merle started exhibiting at the Salon (Paris) in 1847. He received second class prices in 1861 and 1863. In 1966 he was made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
Hugues Merle became a friend of Paul Durand-Ruel
Paul Durand-Ruel
Paul Durand-Ruel was a French art dealer who is associated with the Impressionists. He was one of the first modern art dealers who provided support to his painters with stipends and solo exhibitions....
's in the early 1860s. Durand-Ruel had started buying paintings by Merle in 1862 and introduced Merle to William-Adolphe Bouguereau. Merle would then often be compared to Bouguereau and even “became a considerable rival of Bouguereau in subject and treatment”. In the mid 1860s, Merle painted several portraits of Paul Durand-Ruel
Paul Durand-Ruel
Paul Durand-Ruel was a French art dealer who is associated with the Impressionists. He was one of the first modern art dealers who provided support to his painters with stipends and solo exhibitions....
, his wife and their son, John.
Hugues Merle died in 1881 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...
. His son Georges Merle
Georges Merle
Georges Merle was a French painter. His father, Hugues Merle, was also an artist, and several of Georges's earlier work is often mistakenly contributed to his father. This is because Georges rarely signed his early pieces. Georges was known for his outstanding command of the female form...
, was also a painter.