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James Tissot (French, 1836-1902)
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James Tissot
Ces Dames des Chars 1885
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Biography |
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1869 |
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Produced first caricatures for Vanity Fair |
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Born in Nantes, France in 1836, Tissot made a name for himself by portraying the new ladies of society. He painted in a time when the emerging middle class continuously put pressure on the upper class by replicating their styles, mannerisms and habits. As a reaction to their presence, the upper class created even more complex rules to keep themselves elite and separate from the nouveau riches. Tissot captured these struggles in his early works, creating visual short stories of women who made the faux pau of arriving too early to a party and women who wore the wrong clothes to a social event. These images differed considerably from Tissot’s later works, in which he focused on depicting religious stories and locations. These biblical works are the most significant pieces that he created during his later years. |
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Tissot gained recognition for his skill as an artist fairly early in his career. Having entered Ecole des Beaux-Arts and befriended Ingres, Degas, Whistler, and Manet, Tissot was given a well-rounded education in the arts. The influence of his friends ran deep and with the guidance of James McNeill Whistler, Jacques Joseph Tissot became James Tissot. |
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By 1870, the artist was earning enough of an income to live in style. By 1871, Tissot had moved to London, where he stayed for 11 years. This move was sparked by the Franco-Prussian War and the Civil War, which was rampant all over the city of Paris. It was in England that Tissot created the images of nouveau wealthy society ladies that marked his early years. He found continued success, both as an artist and financially, during his stay in England and it was here that he met Mrs. Kathleen Newton in 1876. Newton was a divorced Irish woman who soon became the model and mistress of Tissot and remained so until her death by consumption in 1882. At this time, Tissot lost his interest in the subject of society and returned to France. |
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Still mourning the loss of Newton, Tissot turned his attention to religious subject matter. Having visited the Holy Land in 1886-87 and in 1889, Tissot was armed with inspiration and continued to create masterpieces until his death in 1902 in Buillon, France. |
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Exhibitions |
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1864 |
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Royal Academy in London |
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