François Nicolas Augustin Feyen

Place: Bey-Sur-Seille

Born: 1826

Death: 1888

Biography:

François Nicolas Augustin Feyen, also known as Auguste Feyen-Perrin, was a French painter, engraver, and illustrator born in 1826. He added his mother's maiden name to his surname to distinguish himself from his older brother, Jacques-Eugène Feyen, who was already an established artist when Auguste was only fifteen.

Early Life and Training

Feyen's father was a tax collector. He had his first art lessons with his older brother, Jacques-Eugène Feyen, then attended a drawing school in Nancy. After some private lessons with Michel Martin Drolling, he qualified to enroll at the École des Beaux-arts in 1848, where he studied with Léon Cogniet and Adolphe Yvon.

Artistic Career

Feyen specialized in portraits and genre scenes. He had his first exhibition at the Salon in 1853 and continued to exhibit there for most of his life, winning medals in 1865, 1867, and 1874. Once, he gave up the chance to compete for the Prix de Rome to accept a commission painting theater curtains for the Opéra-Comique. Together with his brother and his friend, Jules Breton, he spent his summers in Cancale, painting scenes from the everyday lives of the Breton peasantry. Some of his notable works include:

• Portrait of P.-J. Proudhon in 1853 by Gustave Courbet, which is housed at the Musee du Petit Palais (France).
• Harbour Scene at Sunset, 1639 by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée), which is housed in the Grand Palais (Paris, France).
• Self Portrait with a Rose Background by Paul Cezanne, which is an example of his unique style characterized by bold brushstrokes and geometric forms.

Relationships and Legacy

Feyen was a close friend of Gustave Courbet and worked with him at two organizations Courbet presided over during the Franco-Prussian War: the Museum Commission and the Federation of Artists, created in 1871 during the Paris Commune. Despite this potentially compromising activity, he maintained his respectability with the Republican establishment and was decorated with the Légion d'Honneur in 1878. You can learn more about François Nicolas Augustin Feyen's life and works on Wikioo.org. His tomb in Montmartre Cemetery was adorned with a monument by the sculptor, Ernest Guilbert, in 1892. Visit Wikioo.org's collection of famous artists to discover more about French painters and their contributions to the art world.