An Appreciation:
James Tissot

Edgar Degas's portrait of Tissot

James Tissot was an internationally famous French artist in the second half of the 19th century. Although largely forgotten during the Modernist era, Tissot's unique style and keen observation of everyday life is once again being appreciated.

Born Jacques Joseph Tissot in Nantes, France in 1836, the artists later took to calling himself James to show his affection for English culture. His parents operated a drapery shop and it is believed that James' lifelong interest in fashion had its roots there.

James' father wanted him to follow in the family business. However, James became interested in art at an early age and his ambition was to become an artist. His mother supported his ambition and arranged for the young man to stay with one of her artist friends in Paris while he studied at the Ecole de Beaux Arts, the foremost art school in France.

Paris was the art capital of the world and during this period new ideas and techniques were being explored in Paris. Tissot became friends with some of the leaders of the new movements including James McNeill Whistler, Edouard Manet and Edgar Degas. However, Tissot's style at this point was still primarily academic. By 1859, he was submitting works and being exhibited at the prestigious but conservative Paris Salon. The French government purchased his history painting “The Meeting of Faust and Marguerite” in 1860.

Tissot's success at the Salon brought him into the glittering world of the grand bourgeoisie of Second Empire France. A keen observer, Tissot shifted the focus of his art to chronicling this lifestyle in genre paintings, portraits and caricatures. Although informed by his academic training and various other influences such as Japanese art, Tissot developed his own unique realistic style.

In 1870, Napoleon III was provoked into declaring war on Prussia. The Germans invaded France and quickly defeated the large French army. Paris, however, refused to surrender and a siege was commenced. Tissot joined the National Guard and fought as a sharp shooter. The defense of Paris, however, was hopeless and the Germans entered the city.

The new republican government that had been set up at Versailles concluded a humiliating treaty with the Germans that ceded the province of Alsace and most of Lorraine to Prussia. Angered by the treaty and the new government's unsuccessful attempt to disarm the National Guard in Paris, Paris elected its own socialist government known to history as the Paris Commune. This act of rebellion led to fighting between the forces of the national government and those of the commune.

Surprisingly, Tissot, a dandy who had made a fortune chronicling the life of the upper class, chose to fight on the side of the Commune. It has been suggested that he did this to protect his own property but it also may have been due to the camaraderie he developed with other members of the National Guard while fighting the Germans. In any event, the Commune was defeated and so Tissot decided that it would be prudent to flee to England.

Once in London, Tissot anglicized his previous focus, observing and chronicling the English upper classes in genre paintings caricatures and portraits. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy. Once again, he was successful and made a fortune.

He resumed his friendship with Whistler, whose brother-in-law, Francis Seymour Haden, taught Tissot about etching and drypoint. These mediums were to become increasingly important tools for Tissot.

Around the same time, Degas invited Tissot to participate in an exhibition he and his friends were planning in Paris. Degas thought it would help to include some established artists in the exhibition even if they were not working in the Impressionist style. However, like Manet, Tissot declined to show his work at this or at any of the subsequent Impressionist exhibitions.

In 1875, Tissot met Kathleen Newton, the sister of a neighbor. The two fell in love and Kathleen became Tissot's model and his muse. However, Kathleen was a divorced woman. Inasmuch as both Tissot and Newton were Roman Catholics and that church did not recognize divorce, they could not be married. Kathleen nonetheless moved into Tissot's house and it is believed bore him a son. However, social conventions of the day precluded Kathleen from being introduced to Tissot's friends.

After Kathleen's death by consumption in 1882, Tissot turned to spiritualism and attended seances in order to contact Kathleen. There was also a revival of his interest in Catholicism.

Moving back to Paris, Tissot resumed chronicling the everyday affairs of the bourgoisie, often frequenting nightclubs and cafes.

Tissot, however, also began to produce religious works. To aid in depicting the landscape and customs, Tissot traveled to the Holy Land in 1886. Upon his return to France, Tissot concentrated on illustrating the New Testament, exhibiting some 360 works in Paris in 1897. This was followed by another trip to the Holy Land and six years spent working on illustrating the Old Testament.

Tissot's Biblical works were popular at the time and still help shape the public perception of Biblical scenes. For example, Tissot's depictions of the Ark of the Covenant were the foundation for the design of the Ark in the movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

In 1894, Tissot received the Legion of Honor from the French government.

His last years were spent at the Abbey of Buillon, a property Tissot inherited from his parents. Tissot indulged in a number of unusual projects while there including creating faux ruins on the grounds and adding Tudor-style gables to some of the buildings. After his death in 1902, a painting was found of a vision of Kathleen with Jesus Christ that Tissot had had during one of the seances that he attended.

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Above: "The Mavoureen"  - Kathleen Newton, Tissot's muse.

Tissot developed his reputation observing and chronicling the everyday lives of the French and English upper classes. Above: "The Captain's Daughter."
Below: "On The Thames." 

Tissot also did portraits such as the one of Guards officer Frederick Gustavous Burnaby (above).

Following his stay in England, Tissot frequently turned to etchings.  ​Above: "The Most Beautiful Woman in Paris".  Right: "Sunday Morning."

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Above:  Tissot's depiction of the Ark of the Covenant by the Jordan river.

​Above: "The Apparition" was based on a vision Tissot experienced during a séance. 

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Art appreciation - James Tissot