“Mon ami ‘Polite”
Today, one from an artist pivotal to the Impressionist movement, but who remained behind the scenes..
“Mon ami ‘Polite” is an oil on canvas portrait painting by the Australian Impressionist artist, John Peter Russell, from 1900. Russell created this piece when he was living in an art colony that he established with his wife at Belle Île off the coast of Brittany, in France.
Not much is known about the sitter except that he is a fisherman named Père Polyte. His work clothing and the accoutrements he is carrying suggest that he is local to the island, and as the title indicates, presumably a friend. ‘Polite is the short form of the name Hypolite which was relatively common in France, though of Greek origin.
Russell was an intellectual artist who sought to master the craft of capturing light. He was amiable and did not like the competitive nature of art shows. Since he was financially well off, he wasn’t compelled to show his work, so he rarely did. As such, he is often forgotten in art history.
At his art colony on Belle Île, Russell wanted to explore the effects of light on color, and thought an island surrounded by the rough sea would be an ideal location. Russell was actually the first non-native to settle down there. Soon, many great artists came to the island to spend time at the art colony, including Claude Monet, Auguste Rodin, Vincent Van Gogh, and Henri Matisse. Russell and Van Gogh formed an especially unique friendship.
“Mon ami ‘Polite” is currently in the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
For more on John Peter Russell, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
