Adolphe Yvon

Key facts

Lived

1817–1893, French^[2]

Movement

• history painting

^[2]

Works held in

10 museums^[1]

Wikipedia

View article

• Portrait de Ferdinand Barrot

  Musée Magnin

  Hôtel Lantin (Dijon), France

  1 works

  Museum detailsMap

Plan your visit to see Adolphe Yvon →

• What is Adolphe Yvon known for?+

  Adolphe Yvon is known for his large-scale, historically specific military paintings. In 1857^[2], the French^[2] government commissioned him to paint "La Prise de la tour de Malakoff, 8 septembre 1855," a painting measuring six metres by nine.
• What should I know about Adolphe Yvon's prints?+

  Prints are categorised according to when they were made. A 'vintage print' means the photograph was printed around the time the negative was taken. A 'period print' means it was made within roughly ten to fifteen years after. If a print's age is unknown, or printed more than fifteen years after the shot, it is termed an 'old print'. A 'modern print' is one printed recently from the original negative. An 'original print' was made by the artist or under their supervision. Finally, a 'facsimile' is a print made by re-photographing a print, or using the original negative, with base and processing as close as possible to the original. In the print market, the unique print is a constant reference. The process of printing is considered a difficult operation that sometimes involves physical or chemical treatments. Some photographers did not print their own photographs; however, they were still considered original once signed. The person who took the shot acknowledges it as being in conformity with their idea by signing it.
• What style or movement did Adolphe Yvon belong to?+

  Adolphe Yvon was a French^[2] artist who worked firmly within the academic tradition. This system placed history painting^[2] as the highest form of artistic endeavour. It also maintained a hierarchy of genres. According to this, the most suitable subject matter included episodes from classical history, mythology, events from national history, military engagements, modern-life subjects, religious subjects, and portraits. The academic system of artistic training reinforced the position of history painting. The Prix de Rome was considered the pinnacle of success for students at the École des Beaux-Arts. Subjects for the competition were taken from classical history, mythology, or the Bible. State commissions for the decoration of public buildings were for historical subjects; either classical subjects with a moral significance or episodes from French history. The establishment of the Musée Historique at Versailles also helped to prolong the history-painting tradition.
• What techniques or materials did Adolphe Yvon use?+

  Historical sources suggest several approaches to painting were available to Adolphe Yvon. The mid-19th century saw an expansion in commercially available materials, as colour merchants diversified from selling general pharmacy and grocery items to providing a full range of artist supplies. Artists of the time could choose from a variety of techniques. Some instruction manuals focused on the colouring of photographs, recommending transparent and covering colours made from dry powdered pigments mixed with a medium of albumin, ammonium carbonate, glycerine, liquid ammonia, and water. Other articles mention the use of aniline dyes dissolved in alcohol, or the application of oils, watercolours, and pastels over a preparatory layer of gelatin or shellac. Painters also experimented with older methods, such as encaustic painting, tempera, or early oil techniques. Some artists sought to recapture the perceived secrets of Renaissance masters, though it was recognised that exact duplication was impossible due to differences in available materials.
• What was Adolphe Yvon known for?+

  Adolphe Yvon was a French^[2] painter, primarily known for his large-scale history paintings, often with military themes. History painting was considered the most important form of artistic endeavour during the 19th century. It covered episodes from classical history, mythology, events from national history, military and naval engagements, modern-life subjects, religious subjects, and portraits showing a heroic aspect of the sitter. Many artists aspired to be history painters because of the prestige and salary attached to it. State commissions for the decoration of public buildings were for historical subjects, either classical subjects with a moral significance or glorious episodes from French history. Artists were sent to follow military campaigns of the period to record events for posterity. One such artist was Horace Vernet, who visited Algeria in 1833^[2] to follow the French army.
• Where can I see Adolphe Yvon's work?+

  Adolphe Yvon's paintings can be viewed in museums across Europe and North America. In France, his work is held at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nantes, and the Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée des Arts Decoratifs, and Musée du Petit Palais, all in Paris. Other French^[2] museums that hold his paintings include the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nancy, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Dijon. Outside of France, Yvon's art can be seen at the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique in Brussels, the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.
• Who did Adolphe Yvon influence?+

  Adolphe Yvon's artistic influence is not well documented. Some scholars suggest connections between Gustave Courbet and later artists; for example, Paul Cézanne directly quoted Courbet's compositions. Cézanne's Bridge at Maincy (1879^[2]-80) invokes Courbet's Shaded Stream (1865). The photograph The Drain (1989) by Jeff Wall has iconographic roots in Courbet, via Cézanne. These artists were making art from art, informed by various pictorial sources. Other artists, such as Jules Adler, trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts and debuted at the Salon in 1889. His paintings of urban life have been compared to Zola's novels. Adler maintained the Naturalists' impartiality to subject matter, avoiding social commentary. Aman-Jean considered Adler's art to be 'devoid of symbols' and full of emotion, noting parallels between his work and Zola's L’Assommoir.
• Who was Adolphe Yvon?+

  Adolphe Yvon (1817^[2]-1878^[2]) was a French^[2] artist. Daubigny favoured subjects that captured the changing character of waterscapes. His goal involved capturing momentary moods created by specific weather or light. The forms of objects took a subordinate position to this aim. Daubigny hastily applied paint, so forms appear dissolved by light. He abandoned the traditional distinction between sketches and finished paintings. From the late 1840s, the artist also worked on his paintings in the Rhone valley. The pond of Gyliau near Optévoz fascinated him; he even created an oil painting of it as late as 1869. The 1853 version was painstakingly prepared with preliminary studies. Daubigny determined the composition in small pencil sketches and noted the colours for the finished painting. The balanced composition and finely gradated greens render the atmosphere of this undisturbed place on a bright summer day. In the realistic presentation of the waterscape, Daubigny paved the way for the Impressionists.
• Why are Adolphe Yvon's works important today?+

  Adolphe Yvon (1817^[2]-1893^[2]) was a French^[2] painter known for his historical and military scenes. He gained recognition during the Second Empire, particularly for large-scale paintings depicting battles and military events. Yvon's works offer insights into the artistic and political climate of 19th-century France. His paintings often reflect the nationalistic sentiments prevalent during that period. He received commissions from the government, which indicates his acceptance within official artistic circles. His style is characterised by realism and attention to detail, fitting within the academic tradition of his time. While not considered an innovator, his paintings provide a record of significant historical moments and the way they were perceived and presented to the public. They offer a view into the values and aesthetics of the period, and they allow us to analyse the relationship between art, power, and national identity in 19th-century France.
• What was Adolphe Yvon's art style?+

  Adolphe Yvon's art style involved careful attention to military costume and action. His best work retains the quality of authentic military documentation, ambitious in scale and specific in detail.
• When was Adolphe Yvon born?+

  Adolphe Yvon was born in 1817^[2]. Adolphe Yvon died in 1893^[2], aged 76.
• How did Adolphe Yvon die?+

  Adolphe Yvon died in 1893^[2] at the age of 76.