Félix Bracquemond
Félix Bracquemond was a French artist who lived from 1833 to 1914. He is remembered mostly for his gorgeous etchings. His work helped inspire a revival in printmaking as a modern art form.
Bracquemond was born in Paris. As a boy he wanted to become a circus horse rider, but his family had him apprenticed to learn lithography. At age 15, his talents were recognized by the artist, Joseph Guichard, who then took him on as a student. By 1852, Bracquemond was exhibiting his works at the prestigious Paris Salon. Using an old encyclopedia, Bracquemond had taught himself the art of etching. He played an important part in the etching revival that took place in France in the mid-nineteenth century.
Bracquemond’s exposure to the Japanese woodcuts of Katsushiki Hokusai in the mid-nineteenth century is often seen as the start of the French Japonisme craze that swept the art world for several decades. In 1856, Bracquemond acquired a copy of the Japanese artist, Hokusai’s Manga engravings. They had been used in the packaging of porcelain, another object of increasing value and popularity. Bracquemond collected the engravings and divided them out to himself and his friends.
Bracquemond was good friends with many of the artists and writers of the day. This includes Édouard Manet, James Whistler, Jean-François Millet, Camille Corot, Goncourt, and Geffroy. In 1869, he married the impressionist artist, Marie Bracquemond. His wife, Marie, is often described as one of the three great women of Impressionism, along with Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt.
Bracquemond’s wife worked with him at the Haviland Studio where he was artistic director. Félix tried to convince Marie to switch from painting to etching, which he thought a superior art form. Marie chose instead to pursue painting. Unfortunately, her successful career was cut short by her husband. He was unhappy with her choice to paint, but especially to paint in the impressionist style. In 1900, Bracquemond won the Grand prix de gravure at the Exposition Universelle in Paris which solidified his place in printmaking history. He died in 1914 at 81 years old.
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