Early Life and Training

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, a French painter, was born on December 14, 1824, in Lyon, France. He descended from an old noble family of Burgundy and later added the ancestral "de Chavannes" to his name. Puvis de Chavannes' early education took place at the Amiens College and Lycée Henri IV in Paris. However, a serious illness led him to convalesce at Mâcon with his brother and sister-in-law in 1844 and 1845, interrupting his studies.

Artistic Career

Upon returning to Paris in 1846, Puvis de Chavannes announced his intention to become a painter. He studied under Eugène Delacroix, Henri Scheffer, and Thomas Couture. His training was not classical, as he preferred working alone. Puvis de Chavannes' first public commissions emerged in the 1860s, with work at the Musée de Picardie in Amiens.

Mural Painting and Symbolism

Puvis de Chavannes is renowned for his mural painting, earning him the title "the painter for France." His first commission was for his brother's chateau, Le Brouchy, featuring the four seasons as its theme. This early work helped develop his classicizing style and decorative aesthetic.

• Concordia (1861), Bellum (1861), Le Travail (Work; 1863), and Le Repos (Rest; 1863) were among his first public commissions.
• Puvis de Chavannes received numerous commissions for works in public and private institutions throughout France, including the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne.
• His work influenced many artists, notably Robert Genin, and he aided medallists with designs and suggestions.

Notable Works and Legacy

Puvis de Chavannes' notable works include:

• Antique Vision (1884), The Wood Dear to the Arts and the Muses (1884), and Christian Inspiration (1884) at the Palais de Beaux Arts in Lyon.
• His first Parisian commission was for a cycle at the church of Saint Genevieve, now the secular Pantheon, begun in 1874.

Puvis de Chavannes' legacy extends beyond his artistic contributions:

• He co-founded and presided over the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts.
• His work influenced an entire generation of painters and sculptors, particularly the Modernists.

References

* Pierre Puvis de Chavannes on WahooArt: [https://WahooArt.com/@/Pierre-Puvis-De-Chavannes](https://WahooArt.com/@/Pierre-Puvis-De-Chavannes) * Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Puvis_de_Chavannes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Puvis_de_Chavannes)