Alexandre Antigna

Jean Pierre Alexandre Antigna ( b. March 7 1817 in Orléans, France – February 26 1878 in Paris) was a French painter.

Career

Antigna's earliest training took place in his native Orléans by the local painter, Francois Salmon. On October 9, 1837, he entered the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris where he was a pupil of Sebastien Norblin de la Gourdaine as well as the renowned Paul Delaroche.

Until 1845 his paintings were generally religious scenes and portraits. Yet, after living in the poor quarter of the Île Saint-Louis in Paris he would incorporate images of the suffering and burden of urban poor into his works. By the 1848 Revolution Antigna was devoted to the Realist style, and continued to paint in this manner until c. 1860 when he began to produce paintings in the Naturalist vein. He exhibited at the Salon and received the Legion of Honour in 1861. [ [http://64.78.5.47/info_detail.cfm?type=artist&Arts_id=AA William Secord Gallery, Inc.] New York, NY, 2005. Retrieved November 28, 2006.] He traveled to Spain and Brittany numerous times in order to paint multifarious scenes, yet he always retained his compassion for the poor.

Antigna married Helene-Marie Pettit in 1861, who became a painter herself. Their son, Andre-Marc Antigna, was also a painter and miniaturist. [ [http://www.artrenewal.com/asp/database/art.asp?aid=243 Alexandre Antigna.] ARC; Art Renewal Center. Retrieved November 28, 2006.]

External links

* [http://www.artfact.com/features/viewArtist.cfm?artistRef=0VGSF9XVRL] at ArtFact
* [http://www.artrenewal.com/asp/database/art.asp?aid=243 Alexandre Antigna] at Art Renewal Center

References