Ernest Meissonier was a French artist who loved genre painting, but gained popularity and wealth thanks to historical paintings

Jean-Louis Ernest Meissonier (February 21, 1815 – January 31, 1891) was a famous French artist of the 19th century, an outstanding master of historical painting. Ernest Meissonier was a recognized master of genre and portrait genres, a talented sculptor, etcher and book illustrator. The artist’s work was highly valued by his contemporaries, his paintings were extremely popular with the public, and their value often amounted to hundreds of thousands of francs. There are many notable facts and interesting events in the artist’s biography.

Ernest Meissonier enjoyed great authority in the artistic environment of France, so he often headed the jury at national and international exhibitions. Many great artists admired his work, including: Marcel Proust; Guy de Maupassant; Robert Louis Stevenson; Eugène Delacroix; Vincent van Gogh.

Biography

Jean-Louis Ernest Meissonier was born on February 21, 1815 in Lyon, into a wealthy family of an entrepreneur. His father, being the owner of a factory producing dyes for the textile industry, dreamed that his eldest son would inherit his business, but Ernest wanted to become an artist since childhood. Fortunately, his parents respected the choice of the young man and immediately after finishing school he left for Paris.

In the capital, young Meissonier immediately managed to get a job as an apprentice in the studio of the artist Léon Cogniet. The mentor instilled in him a love for the historical genre and often attracted him to fulfill orders for painting ceilings in the Louvre with images of expeditions to distant lands. In addition, Ernest was enthusiastically engaged in copying paintings by Dutch masters exhibited in the museum, and soon achieved brilliant results in this matter.

In 1834, 19-year-old Meissonier first took part in the Paris Salon, but without much success. Painting practically did not bring the young artist any income, so at the dawn of his professional career he was forced to take up book illustrations. At the same time, Ernest was actively engaged in self-education, and after several years of study, he left Cogne altogether and began to build an independent career. In 1838, Meissonier married Emma Steinheil, with whom he lived happily in marriage all his life. His wife gave him two children – a daughter, Therese, and a son, Charles, who later also became an artist, but never reached the level of his father.

Ernest Meissonier’s first success at exhibitions came in 1840, when one of his works was awarded a bronze medal. Three years later, the master won the highest award at the next Paris Salon. His works on historical themes brought him universal recognition; it was for such works that he became a full Knight of the Legion of Honor and was elected a member of the Academy of Arts.

The lack of a complete academic education prevented Meissonier from making a full-fledged teaching career. His application for an appointment as a professor at the National School of Fine Arts was rejected by the management for this very reason. But he received the title of honorary academician back in 1861, and Napoleon III was an ardent admirer of his work and the most powerful patron of the master for many years.

Since 1846, Ernest Meissonier and his family permanently lived in the small town of Poissy, located 40 km from Paris. Nevertheless, he often visited the French capital, led an active political life and even ran for parliament several times. Having failed to achieve success at the national level, the painter managed to satisfy his political ambitions in the provinces when the residents of Poissy elected him mayor.

In 1890, the authoritative painter was elected chairman of the revived National Society of Fine Arts, but by that time he was already seriously ill. Despite the efforts of doctors, on January 31, 1891, Ernest Meissonier died in Paris at the age of 75. The remains of the great master were buried in Poissy.