Biography
Jacques Edmond Leman was a French painter and illustrator predominantly known for his carefully researched historical scenes. Working during the Second Empire, he became known for elegant genre paintings inspired by the literature of Molière and Corneille, alongside portraits and illustrations.
Known For
- Historical genre scenes depicting the court of Louis XIV, literary subjects from Molière, and episodes from 17th-century French history.
- Portraits and illustrations.
- Producing an ambitious series of illustrations for the complete works of Molière, as well as publications devoted to Victor Hugo and Pierre Corneille.
Student Of
François-Édouard Picot (1786-1868) at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Lived In
- Born in L'Aigle, Normandy.
- Later settled in Paris, where he exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon between 1852 and 1881.
Historical Context
Leman worked during a period when French history painting was evolving from grand heroic narratives towards more intimate reconstructions of everyday life. He became fascinated by the social and literary world of the Grand Siècle, recreating the interiors, costumes and customs of 17th-century France. His paintings appealed to a growing 19th-century fascination with France's cultural heritage and literary history.
Public Collections
Examples of Leman's work are held in several French public collections, including museums in Rouen, Caen and Alençon. Prints after his compositions are also preserved in the British Museum.
Timeline
1829
Born in L'Aigle, Normandy.
Studied under François-Édouard Picot at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris.
1852
Made his Paris Salon debut with The Leisure of Virgil.
1853 & 1855
Awarded honourable mentions at the Paris Salon.
1859
Received a silver medal at the Paris Salon.
1860s-1880s
Produced many of his best-known historical scenes centred on Molière and the court of Louis XIV.
1880
Married Adélaïde Bérengère Adèle Bunau.
1880s
Devoted much of his later career to illustrating a luxurious edition of Molière's complete works.
1889
Died in Paris at the age of 60.
Described By Others
Writing shortly after Leman's death, the art historian Philippe de Chennevières, who had known the artist for decades, described him as one of Normandy's finest genre painters. He praised Leman's "fresh, meticulous and pleasing palette" and his remarkable understanding of 17th-century costume and interiors. Chennevières believed that A Morning in the Blue Room of the Marquise de Rambouillet represented Leman's finest achievement, while recognising his illustrations of Molière as the culmination of a lifelong fascination with the playwright and the world of Louis XIV.