Fernand Cormon

Biography of Fernand Cormon ( 1845-1924 )

Fernand Cormon is a formally trained painter who attends the Portaels's studio in Brusselles, afterwards the Eugene Fromentin's one and finally joins the Alexandre Cabanel's class. He began his painting carrier in 1863 at the age of 18 only and then exhibits his first works at the Salon of Paris.

As the official painter of the Third Republic, Fernand Cormon carries out lots of state commissions and starts an exemplary carrier. His talent is awarded twice in 1870 and 1873: he obtains his first medals. The immense and powerful intensity that emanates from his works such as "Murder in Sereglio" in 1874 would arouse interest among both art critics and spectators. Five years later, Cormon is once again awarded during the 1878 Exposition Universelle.

Since 1870, Cormon is regularly awarded at the Salon and therefore does not exhibit in 1879 for he wants to devote himself to his monumental painting "Cain", a subject directly stemming from the Victor Hugo's "The Legend of the Ages". The painting is eagerly anticipated and makes noise at the 1880 Salon since it distances itself from the other works: the execution is utterly smooth and the colours are bright and light. The extraordinary painting, which becomes the State's propriety and is nowadays held at the Musée d'Orsay, will eventually earn him the Legend of Honour and his fame. Cormon is soon considered as an expert in historical subjects.

His knows such a tremendous success and carries out on behalf of the town council of the fourth arrondissement of Paris a series of panels with four main topics: birth, death, marriage and war. Then the State entrusts him with the decoration of both the National Museum of Natural History and the Petit Palais.

Yet Cormon does not restrict himself to the historical and conventional styles, and by the late 1880s' he spends a lot of time in Brittany alongside his friends Théophile Deyrolle and Alfred Guillou. He then makes several paintings inspired by the Concarneau Port and eventually enrich the series in 1888 and 1891. The artist obtains again the Medal of Honour in 1887 at the French Art Salon.

Cormon is appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in Paris and becomes a member of the Fine Arts Academy in 1889. He is also elected as member of the French artist Committee and becomes in 1912 its President. Since Cormon is a leading light artist of his generation, his studio meets a great success and more and more students join his tuitions. In addition of names such as Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, we also find Louis Anquetin, Armand-Jacques Assus, Émile Bernard, George Hendrik Breitner or Thorvald Erichsen among his pupils.