Jules Joseph Lefebvre Paintings

Jules Joseph Lefebvre Biography

Lefèbvre was born on March 14th, 1836. Though his father was only a baker, Jules Joseph Lefèbvre nonetheless encouraged his son to pursue painting, sending him to study in Paris in 1852. There, Lefèbvre became a pupil of Léon Cogniet and a year later started attending the École des Beaux Art. His debut at the Paris Salon was in 1855. Jules Joseph Lefèbvre then spent the next few years pursuing the coveted Prix de Rome (the main competition for young painters, which would win him five years of study in Rome and a reputation that would all but guarantee a successful career). In 1859 Jules Joseph Lefèbvre came close, placing second. Two years later the history painting The Death of Priam would win him first place.

It would be during his stay in Rome that Jules Joseph Lefèbvre would find his individual artistic niche. Able to study the great Italian masters, Lefèbvre was fascinated by the Mannerist painters, especially Andrea del Sarto. The painter copied Jules Joseph Lefebvre painting avidly and demonstrated Andrea’s influence in his painting Boy Painting a Tragic Mask (1863)[2]. It was also during this time that his interest in the female girl body began, painting his first in 1863. Among other Jules Joseph Lefebvre paintings he did in Rome, Jules Joseph Lefèbvre sent the narrative Roman Charity to the salon of 1864 and painted Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi in 1866. The latter narrative, however, was ill received by experts, arousing overwhelming criticism. That same year his parents and one of his sisters died. These negative events in both his personal and professional life sent him into severe depression.[2]

Jules Joseph Lefebvre emerged from his depression and came back to Paris with a different approach to art and a change of interest in subject matter. Jules Joseph Lefèbvre apparently became disenchanted with the traditional formulaic approach to painting, instead turning towards more precise rendering from life.[2] In 1868 Jules Joseph Lefèbvre exhibited a Reclining girl body at the Salon, which unlike last significant Jules Joseph Lefebvre painting, won him much praise.[2] Two years later, his allegory of Truth became his first great success.[1] A beautiful young woman holds up a mirror (the conventional symbol of truth). This symbol, though, is at the very top of the painting, so, in order to get to it one’s eye has to caress the sensuous feminine curves over the length of the outstretched figure. Shortly after the success of this girl body, Jules Joseph Lefèbvre was made an officer in the Legion of Honor.