French, 1854 - 1929
This watercolor was inspired by a well known print by Hiroshige
Petitjean was born at Mâcon on September 11, 1854 and died exactly 75 years later, September 17, 1929. He was more a follower of Neo-Impressionism than a participant, but he appeared in exhibitions with Neo-Impressionists from 1892 onwards. After training in Mâcon, Petitjean came to Paris in 1872 and entered Cabanel’s studio. He continued on the side his trade as painter-decorator for some time, rather like Hayet. His very conservative style, based upon an admiration for Puvis de Chavannes, won him official Salon honors in 1888 and again later, but gradually he adopted the Neo-Impressionist manner. Beginning in 1891 he exhibited regularly with the Independants and in 1892 in the little gallery exhibitions devoted to the Neo-Impressionist; he showed also with Lex XX in Brussels in 1893 and with La Libre Esthétique there in 1898. His period of greatest proximity to Neo-Impressionism was from about 1890 to 1894. Thereafter his many compositions of bathers of vaguely mythological ambience retain a superficial use of small brushstrokes, but without divided color. They are often very close to Puvis de Chavannes and to Fantin-Latour. About 1912, perhaps realizing that his work had lost decisive quality, Petitjean returned to the Neo-Impressionists palette and produced a great many watercolors and a few oils, of which the best are pure landscapes. With their characteristic round dots, rather widely spaced and showing with paper between, his watercolors of the late period are easily recognized and it is all the more wonder that unwary collectors have accepted the many forged dates of the 1880s which have been added in recent years. Petitjean’s finest works are his drawings in black and white of the years 1895 to about 1905.
Museums:
Galerie de l’Insitut, 1955
Findlay Galleries, New York, 1959
Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris
Inspection des Musées de Province, Paris
French, 1854 - 1929
Petitjean was born at Mâcon on September 11, 1854 and died exactly 75 years later, September 17, 1929. He was more a follower of Neo-Impressionism than a participant, but he appeared in exhibitions with Neo-Impressionists from 1892 onwards. After training in Mâcon, Petitjean came to Paris in 1872 and entered Cabanel’s studio. He continued on the side his trade as painter-decorator for some time, rather like Hayet. His very conservative style, based upon an admiration for Puvis de Chavannes, won him official Salon honors in 1888 and again later, but gradually he adopted the Neo-Impressionist manner. Beginning in 1891 he exhibited regularly with the Independants and in 1892 in the little gallery exhibitions devoted to the Neo-Impressionist; he showed also with Lex XX in Brussels in 1893 and with La Libre Esthétique there in 1898. His period of greatest proximity to Neo-Impressionism was from about 1890 to 1894. Thereafter his many compositions of bathers of vaguely mythological ambience retain a superficial use of small brushstrokes, but without divided color. They are often very close to Puvis de Chavannes and to Fantin-Latour. About 1912, perhaps realizing that his work had lost decisive quality, Petitjean returned to the Neo-Impressionists palette and produced a great many watercolors and a few oils, of which the best are pure landscapes. With their characteristic round dots, rather widely spaced and showing with paper between, his watercolors of the late period are easily recognized and it is all the more wonder that unwary collectors have accepted the many forged dates of the 1880s which have been added in recent years. Petitjean’s finest works are his drawings in black and white of the years 1895 to about 1905.
Museums:
Galerie de l’Insitut, 1955
Findlay Galleries, New York, 1959
Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris
Inspection des Musées de Province, Paris
