This is the Parisian atelier of painter Jules Thulot, little-known today, but in this photograph we get an intimate look inside his personal space. A fabulously bohemian lair, begging to be explored inch by inch. It was the discovery of this photograph that sent me on my hunt for today’s compendium of artists in their ateliers. The more eccentric, the better.
Another closer look atΒ Jules Thulot’s atelier, which has now convinced me that I need a paper parasol for the MessyNessy clubhouse.
Here is Claude Monet in his studio at Giverny.
Above and below is Alphonse Mucha in his Parisian studio. He and his muse, Sarah Bernhardt, were pioneers of a little movement called Art Nouveau.
You can discover his story and his art here.
The one and only Frida Kahlo in her atelier in Mexico.
Painter Gustave BoulangerΒ at his Parisian studio.
The central heating doesn’t seem to be working at Picasso’s studio.
Alberto Giacometti in front of his studio in Paris, photographed by Emmy Andriesse.
Ignace Spiridon (1845-1900) Italian artist known for his portrait paintings in his atelier.
A photo of John Singer Sargent in his studio in Paris, 1885. Sargent was an American portrait and mural painter.
Louis-Robert Carrier-Belleuse (1848-1913), painter, sculpter and ceramicist, in his atelier, 1910.
Meet Leonor Fini, theΒ forgotten bohemian Queen of the Paris art world.
Emmanuel FrΓ©miet (1824-1910), French sculptor known for his animal sculptors along with the first statue of Joan of Arc horseback.
Henri de Toulouse-LautrecΒ with a model in his atelierΒ 1894.
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) seated beside his work in his studio, photographed by Dornac from the archives Larousse, Paris, France.
CamilleΒ Claudel in her studio, who I’d like to stop and briefly tell her story here, as I might not get another chance to.Β She was the elder sister of the poet and diplomatΒ Paul ClaudelΒ and the lover, co-worker and muse of sculptorΒ Auguste Rodin. She was aΒ sculptor in her own right and art critics of the era described her asΒ “a revolt against nature: a woman genius.” Claudel ultimately became Rodin’s rival and their affair ended. Her sculptures were often very sexual and she struggled to get funding after her break with Rodinβ some believe this was his doing. Other believe it wasΒ not Rodin, but her own brother who was jealous of her genius, and conspired with her mother, who never forgave her for her supposed immorality.
After 1905 Claudel appeared to beΒ mentally ill, wandering around the streets dressed in beggars’ clothes. She destroyed many of her statues, disappeared for long periods of time, exhibited signs ofΒ paranoiaΒ and was diagnosed as havingΒ schizophrenia. She accused Rodin of stealing her ideas and of leading a conspiracy to kill her.Β After her father’s death, who had approved of her career choice and tried to support her financially,Β she was admitted to theΒ psychiatric hospital at the initiative of her brother.Β Doctors tried to convince the family that she need not be in the institution, but still they kept her there for 30 years.Β Rodin’s friend, Mathias Morhardt, insisted that her brother was a “simpleton” who had “shut away” his sister of genius. She died in 1943 at the hospital and her remains were buried in its backyard cemetery.
In 1951, her brother Paul Claudel organized an exhibition at theΒ MusΓ©e Rodin, which continues to display her sculptures. You can watch the Academy award-winning film Camille ClaudelΒ (1988) about her life, starringΒ Isabelle Adjani as Claudel andΒ GΓ©rard DepardieuΒ as Rodin.
With his doves above and his model below, Henri Matisse.
Willy Maywald’s studio in Montparnasse.
Pascal Dagnan-Bouvre in his atelier amongst his naturalist paintings.
Alberto Giacometti, photographed by Robert Doisneau at his studio in 1957.
Do you have any gems to add to the pile?