Arty farty Friday ~ James Tissot & Those Gowns

 Self portrait

James Tissot

Jacques Joseph Tissot ( 15 October 1836 – 8 August 1902), Anglicized as James Tissot, was a French painter and illustrator. He was a successful painter of Paris society before moving to London in 1871. He became famous as a genre painter of fashionably dressed women shown in various scenes of everyday life. He also painted scenes and characters from the Bible.

Jacques Tissot was born in the port town of Nantes, France and spent his early childhood there. His father, Marcel Théodore Tissot, was a successful drapery merchant. His mother, Marie Durand, assisted her husband in the family business and designed hats. A devout Catholic, Tissot's mother instilled pious devotion in the future artist from a very young age. Tissot's youth spent in Nantes likely contributed to his frequent depiction of shipping vessels and boats in his later works. The involvement of his parents in the fashion industry is believed to have been an influence on his painting style, as he depicted women's clothing in fine detail.

Detail in his paintings of the beautiful gowns featured is incredibly fine - do take a look at the 6 minute video, to admire his talent - and those gowns!





ASTROLOGY

Any stray passing reader interested in astrology can find Tissot's natal chart at Astrotheme. I see that his natal Sun and ascendant are in Libra - sign ruled by Venus planet of the arts and of beauty in general, with Venus itself in Virgo, the sign known for meticulous detail - what an excellent fit for Tissot's particular art style and subject matter!