Impressionism: partaker of the first ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu

(1845-1917)

A forgotten painter of still-lifes

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu sometimes painted in an impressionist style:
Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu only joined the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874. You can hardly call him part of the ‘impressionist’ art-movement. He painted mainly still-lives and is hardly mentioned in books on Impressionism. Many say he didn’t paint in an impressionistic style. But look at this picture below ‘Street view, snow effect’. The atmosphere of a greyish winter day is perceptible. The brush stroke gives it a vivid radiance. You can call it an impressionist work. But this work is clearly an exception. Mostly Attendu painted (kitchen) still-lifes in a more Realist style.

 

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu at the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition:
Attendu joined the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874, he exhibited probably 6 works, including 4 still-lifes. He was not noticed by the press; he is only summed up in 5 reviews as one of the partakers (R90I). Attendu was introduced by Degas (aR3). His art-teacher Louis Mettling was co-founder of the the ‘Société Anonyme des artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs, et Lithographes‘. Attendu had payed 61fr contribution and also 100fr in advance; he was not present at the liquidation meeting 1874/12/17 (R415,p366-368).
See links for an account of the works he had exhibited and for an impression of the images he exhibited.

 

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu at the Salon and other exhibitions:
He often exhibited at the Salon (and it’s successor the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français) from 1870-1905*. Moffett calls him (and others) a more traditional artist (R2,p105). Ferdinand Attendu also (regularly) exhibited at regional exhibitions. From 1905-1908 he exhibited at the Salon d’Hiver (iR17).
See here for an account of the works he had exhibited, see link for the images.
Sources: R88I,p19; R87,p229; R9,p41; R90II,p3; iR1; iR17.
Note*: Walther (wrongly) mentions he exhibited at the Salon till 1898 (R3,p645). Invaluable writes that Attendu exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1878-98 (iR17), which is not accurate. Moffett writes that Attendu and other partakers regularly exhibited at the Salon before 1874, which is not true for Attendu.

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu, general info as an artist:
Ferdinand Attendu painted many still lives in which he often painted kitchen utensils and food. He also painted some portraits*, some city views** and some landscapes***. He (probably) painted a few interiors****. See also the thematical overview of his pictures.
Some sources call Ferdinand Attendu a landscape and still-life painter (R3,p645; R410,p105; iR4). Because the number of his landscapes is small, I think it better to merely call him a still-life painter, which Walther elsewhere does (R3,p136).
Schurr & Cabanne state that Attendu ‘shares neither the spirit nor the technique of  the impressionists’ (R9,p41). Attendu worked in a naturalistic style (aR3); he was a conventional realist (R5). He worked in Paris and Neuilly-sur-Seine (R3; aR3). Three of his works are now known to be in a museum (aR3). Jeanne Lauvernay Petitjean was a student of him (aR3); she also painted many still lives.
Sources: aR1; aR3; R3; R9; R5.
Note*: see 1IE-1874-8; S1870-3024; SdR1873-400; SdAF-1881-50; SdAF-1888-66; SdAF-1889-58.
Note**: see 1IE-1874-9; SdAF-1880-94; SdAF-1881-49; SdAF-1883-56.
Note***: see SdAF-1885-2511; R3; aR3; R5.
Note****: SdAF-1890-50.

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu, short chronology as a painter:

• Attendu was a student of M.L. or M. Mettling (iR1;aR1;R88I,p19;R16,p64) = Louis Mettling (R3;R87,p229)*. Louis Mettling who was born in 1847, which means he was younger than Attendu; this makes it strange Mettling was his teacher. Mettling was a co-founder of the ‘Société des Artistes Peintres, Sculpteurs, Graveurs et Lithographes.‘ (R410,p103;R2,p105).
  Note*: sometimes wrongly spelled as Metting (aR3); or as ‘Ettling’ (R9,p41).
• 1870: debut at the Salon with a painting and an aquarelle (aR1)
• 1873: exhibited two paintings at the Salon des Refusée (aR1)
• 1874: exhibited at the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition (R2); 3 oil paintings and 3 aquarelles, see account; probably introduced by Degas (aR3);
  (it would be interesting to know if Degas mentions Attendu in his writings)
• 1874/06/13: In La Chronique Illustré Jean Dolent reviewed the Salon, writing ‘I have noted the still-life painting of M. Ferdinand Attendu; a canvas by a colourist’ (iR40).
• 1874-1905: exhibited (almost) yearly at the Salon with 1, 2 or 3 works (aR1;R88I,p19;R87,p229;R9,p41); mostly with still-lives.
  It would be interesting to know if and what contemporary art-critics wrote about him. Some of the reviews are found on the internet (iR40), see here below and the account.
• 1875-96: exhibited regularly at the Salon du Havre (aR3)
• 1884/05/24: The American register reviewing room 25 of the Salon, wrote ‘A gem is no.53, “La Terrine,” simply a yellow basin, an iron jug, and a few eggs, of which one lies broken in the foreground.’ (iR40).
• 1885: In Salon Illustré of 1885, the name Ferdinand Attendu is summed up in a small list on page 178 (iR40)
• 1885-92: Attendu exhibited at the Salon de l’Union artistique in Toulouse (aR1); with one or two works; all still-lives; 1885 (2x); 1886 (2x); 1888 (1x); 1889 (1x); 1891 (1x); 1892 (1x).
• 1887: member of the ‘Société des Artistes Français‘ (aR1)
• 1888/04/09: Henri Vernier mentions in Courrier de l’art (page 124) 4 gifts done by le baron Alphonse de Rothschild, member of L’Institut, to the museum in Lunéville, including a pastel by Ferdinand Attendu (iR40).
• 1890/05/21: Le Messager du Midi reviewing the ‘Exposition de la Société artistique’ reviewed on Ferdinand Attendu: ‘Totally modernist in his use of greys, this young artist deserves encouragement because he seems to want to get away from the well-trodden path.’ His work hung ’to the left when entering the large (exhibition) room’. (iR40)
• 1890/07/01: Ferdinand Attendu is summed up as one of the still-life painters at the Salon in the Revue Universelle illustrée (page 108) (iR40).
• 1890/07/05: Le Progrès writes about the content of L’Art no.626 (1890/06/15), indicating an etch was shown after a pastel of Ferdinand Attendu called ‘Environs de Jarnac (Charente)’, suggesting that it was exhibited at the ‘Champs de Mars’ where the Salon de la Société National des Beaux-Arts was held (iR40); this is repeated in the 1890/07/11 edition (iR40). The Salon database doesn’t affirm this (iR1), nor the Catalogue Illustré (R332=iR40), nor the Explication des Salon (R337=iR19).
• 1890/10/05: Le Nord Illustré mentions on page 212 that le baron Alphonse de Rothschild offered an excellent pastel of M. Ferdinand Attendu to enriche the Musée de Bergues. (iR40). This is also mentioned in Courrier de l’art (1890/09/26; page 305) (iR40).
• 1893/03/07: Gil Blas reviewed on the first exposition of Les Parisiens de Paris held at the Durand-Ruel Gallery: ‘The best works are the Natures mortes of M. Ferdinand Attendu, paintings and pastels’ (iR40). La Petite Presse (1893/03/23) mentioned Le Grog, ‘with it’s beautiful citrons’ and a pastel showing ’two pigeons in a charming grey’ (iR40).
• 1893/05/07: In a review on the Salon in Gil Blas Paul Leroi lists Ferdinand Attendu as one of the still-life painters. (iR40)
• 1893: exhibited one time with the Salon des Indépendants showing 6 still lifes (R285,p122)
• 1893: exhibited at the ‘Expositions et concours de Beaux-Arts et Arts Industriels modernes’ in Blois (aR1)
• 1895/05/09: an auction sale at Hôtel Drouot with pictures of Lepic and Ferdinand Attendu (iR40,bpt6k1247562r)
• 1901/05/01: The name of Ferdinand Attendu is summed up in a review in the Revue Illustrée (iR40)
• 1904/12/18: In La Justice it is mentioned that Ferdinand Attendu showed ‘Les Prunes’ at the yearly ‘Exposition des chrysanthèmes’. He was one of ‘Les peintres de fleurs et de fruits’ (iR40).
• 1905-08: exhibited at the Salon d’hiver (aR3; iR17)
• 1906/11/05: La Liberté reviewed the ‘Salon de l’Exposition d’horiculture’, which was held in the ‘serres du Cours-la-Reine’. Mentioning ‘la Vendage’ of M. Ferdinand Attendu ‘which only lacks a little harshness and dryness’ (iR40).
• 1907: Ferdinand Attendu showed 3 still-lifes at the Exposition du Palais du Beaux-Arts in Monte-Carlo; Le Figaro (1907/02/25 reviewed ‘In which we find all the customary qualities of drawing and colouring of this skilful artist.’ (iR40)
• 1907/04/06: In a review in L’art et la mode on the ‘Exposition annuelle de la Société des Artistes de Neuilly’ held in the townhall, Félix Polak mentions the ‘precious little still lifes’ of Ferdinand Attendu. (iR40) In the New York Herald (1907/03/23) Georges Bal called them ‘very good’ (iR40).
• 1908: Ferdinand Attendu showed 2 works at L’Exposition Internationale de Peinture et de Sculpture du Palais du Beaux-Arts de Monte-Carlo; Le Figaro (1908/02/02) just mentioned the two titles (iR40).
• 1908/06/01: In La Revue des Beaux-Arts Ferdinand Attendu is summed up as one of the still-life painters exhibiting in Amiens (iR40).
• 1909/01/16: Le Journal in a review on L’Exposition Internationale de Peinture et de Sculpture de Monte-Carlo, mentions the name of Ferdinand Attendu in a list introduced with ‘Last but not least, some items that deserve more than a mention…’. (iR40); Le Figaro (1909/03/16) mentioned the two titles and added ‘Skilful miniatures’ (iR40)

 

Was Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu an Impressionist?
Attendu only joined the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874. Before that he was accepted by the Salon in 1870, but rejected in 1873 (and exhibited at the Salon des Refusés). Maybe he was also rejected in 1872. These rejections probably made his relationship with the Salon ambivalent and maybe this motivated him to join the alternative ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874. Fact is though that about the same time he was able to show a work in the Salon of 1874. After 1874 he was accepted every year at the Salon and therefore maybe not motivated to look for an alternative.
He probably didn’t have many relationships with the other impressionists. Sue Roe doesn’t mention him in her book (R4). There is no portret known of Attendu made by another impressionist. It’s only known that he was introduced by Degas (aR3) and in 1895 he sold works at an auction together with Lepic.
His still-lives are not in an impressionistic style. He used many blacks and browns and his brushstroke is not very lively. He rendered a lot of detail. Still he also tried to render the effect of the light which influences the colour of the object (see also aR3). Some claim Attendu’s landscapes are not in an impressionistic style (R5). When I look at his city-views and landscapes, than I recognize some impressionist elements (see overview of his pictures). Walther mentions him as one of the artists who didn’t conquer a place in art-history and didn’t paint in an impressionist way (R3,p136).
So, mainly you can say that Attendu nearly didn’t belong to the impressionist art movement and mostly didn’t paint in an impressionistic painting style.

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu, a short private biography:

• 1845/04/25: Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu was born in Paris (aR3;R87,p229)
  His father was Benoit Attendu and his mother Marie Sauzy (iR67); they died before 1888/07/30 (iR79).
• 1870: Attendu lived at 8, Passage Gourdon, Paris (aR1)
  (this is about 23km south-east of Ile de la Cité in Paris)
  Note: the adresses indicated at the catalogues of Salons (aR1) don’t necessarily mean that the artist lived there.
• 1873: Attendu lived at 18, Rue Grandbout, Fontenay-sous-Bois (aR1) (this is about 16km east of Ile de la Cité, Paris)
• 1874: Le XIXe siècle (1883/06/11) refers to dinners at the Café Procope in 1874 where Ferdinand Attendu did sing. Also Mettling was present. (iR40). Also Le Pays (1883/06/22) mentions this referring to a book called ‘Le livre de têtes de bois’ (iR40). So does Le Livre (1883/01/01, page 466) (iR40). Much later Rolet (1953/01/15) also refers to these dinners adding more names like Alexandre Georges and Gustave Charpentier, Maupassant, Alexis, Coquelin Cadet and others (iR40). All this refers to the preface of ‘Le livre de têtes de bois’ published by Charpentier in 1883 (iR40).
• 1874-1879: Attendu lived at 3, Rue des Fossés-Saint-Jacques, Paris (R2, aR1)
  1878 the second adress mentioned was: chez M. Disand-Gredelue, rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, 54 (aR1)
• 1880-86: Attendu lived at 18bis, Rue de la Glacière, Paris (aR1)
• 1883/01/10: La Presse published a list for the National one-franc subscription, organised by La Presse, for the erection of a monument to Gambetta. This list included Ferdinand Attendu, Mme Attendu and Benoit Attendu. (iR40). Léon Gambetta (1838-82) was a French Republican politician (iR3).
• 1885: the address rendered in the Toulouse catalogue was rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, 54 (aR1); compare 1878↑.
• 1887-88: Attendu lived at 66, Rue Rochechouart, Paris (aR1;iR67;iR79)
• 1887/11/28: Le National mentioned that Ferdinand Attendu, the painter, attended the marriage of Mlle Isaac (iR40); so did L’entr’acte (1887/11/29) (iR40).
• 1888/06/30: Ferdinand Attendu, painting artist, married Mlle (Loïse) Sara Guilbot in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just west of Paris.
  They received the church wedding blessing (in a protestant church?) the same day
  Loïse Sara Guilbot was born 1852 and would die 1929; she lived at 27, Boulevard Victor-Hugo, Neuilly-sur-Seine. (iR67; iR67; iR79;  aR3; iR9)
  An announcement in Gil Blas 1888/06/21 suggests this marriage was held the 17th (iR40); the same in La Gaulois (iR40)
• 1889-1891: Attendu live at 15, Boulevard Victor-Hugo, parc de Neuilly / Neuilly-sur-Seine (aR1)
  (this is about 6km west of Ile de la Cité, Paris)
• 1891/09/25: Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu was witness of the departure of his mother-in-law Marie Louise Pillet, married with Ferdinand Guilbot, in Neuilly; he than lived at 147, avenue de Villiers, Paris, 17th arrondissement (iR79).
• 1891-1896: Attendu lived 147, avenue de Villiers, Paris (aR1;R285,p122)
• 1896/01/09: Attendu attended ‘Le diner des Parisiens de Paris (diner de Molière)’ according to Le Figaro (1896/01/11) (iR40)
• 1896-1898 (and maybe later): Attendu lived 11, rue Chateaubriand (aR1).
• 1898/05/22: Le Monde artist mentioned that Ferdinand Attendu attended a banquet of ‘L’Union des femmes Peintres et Sculpteurs’ (iR40).
• 1899/01/16: Le Journal published a list of sympathisers Ligue de la Patrie Française, including M. and Mme. Ferdinand Attendu. In some way this was connected with the university of Rennes. (iR40). Le Gaulois (1899/01/16) published the same list. (iR40) L’Intransigeant also published a list (1899/01/17) (iR40)
• 1901: Ferdinand Attendu is mentioned on page 117 as one of the still-life painters in the book ‘Les maîtres d’aujourd’hui (la peinture française contemporaine)’ written by Paul Lorquet (iR40).
• 1903-1905 (and maybe earlier and later): Attendu lived at 2bis, Boulevard Bourbon, Neuilly-sur-Seine (aR1).
  He lived in Neuilly when his brother-in-law died in Bordeaux of which he was a witness (iR79).
• 1908/02/08: Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu was witness at the funeral of his father-in-law Ferdinand Guilbot in Graves Saint-Amant (iR79).
• 1911: Ferdinand Attendu lived with his wife and their domestic help at 15, Le Bourg, Graves Saint-Amant (iR79)
• 1917/03/14: Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu died in Graves Saint-Amant (Poitou-Charentes) (iR79; iR442; R410,p273; iR4).
• 1917/03/19: La Charente renders an article mentioning the burial the 17th in the church of Saint-Amant-de-Graves of the painter Ferdinand Attendu, member of the Société des Artistes Français and awarded at the Salon. “A large crowd turned out to pay their last respects… He passed away with the esteem and regret of his colleagues and all true friends of art. Mr Richard-Delisle, general councillor, praised the deceased and Mr  Paul Mourier, deputy curator of the Angoulême painting museum, said farewell on behalf of the friends of the arts.” (iR40,bpt6k4661259h)
  Note: Graves Saint-Amant lies 482km south-east of Paris and 120km north of Bordeaux (iR9). Angoulême lies 26km to the east (iR9).
  Note: most sources (wrongly) indicate that Attendu died in 1908 (iR5; iR13; iR17; iR34; iR35).
  Other sources (wrongly) mention 1905 (R3,p645).
  Some sources don’t render a date of departure (R2,p506; R9,p41; R16,p64; R87,p229; R88I,p19; iR15; iR24)

Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu, sources:
There is not much known about Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu. Searching for Attendu on the internet gives the problem that ‘attendu’ also means ‘waited’. So I couldn’t even find info in the Bibliothèque National de France (iR26). The English WikiPedia site hasn’t a page on Attendu (iR3). Joconde only renders 2 works (iR23). Most sources, if they mention him at all, only mention that he was one of the partakers in the 1874 exposition (R1,p316;R16,p371+64). Walther shortly mentions him in his lexicon and as member of the first exposition in 1874 (R3,p645+136). Moffett calls him (and others) more traditional artist and that is all the information he gives (R2,p105). Also Monneret (R88I,p19) and Adhémar (R87,p229) are limited in their information. Others don’t mention him at all (R4;R5;R6;R8;R10;R14;R15;R17;R19;R21;R22;R86;R90II;R94;R95;R102;R116). Many sources render a wrong date of departure.
My main sources are Rewald (1973=R1,p316), Moffett (1986=R2), Walther (2013=R3,p645), Schurr&Cabanne (2008=R9,p607), Spiess (1992=R16,p64), Monneret (1978-81=R88I,p19), the Salon database (iR1), Wikipedia (iR4 + iR5), Christies (iR15), artnet (iR13), artpirce (iR16), invaluable (iR17), Joconde (iR23), the RKD (iR24), Bénézit (iR69), gallica (iR40), familysearch (iR67), geneanet.org (iR79), aleinor (iR126), rmngp (iR127) and the additional references (aRx). See link for other general references (=R) and for other references to internet sites (=iR). For other additional references (=aR) see below. See links for practical hints and abbreviations and for the subscription of the paintings.

Additional references (=aR):

1. www.Salons.musee-Orsay.fr (=iR1)
   Salons et expositions de groupes 1673-1914 », salons.musee-orsay.fr, un projet du musée d’Orsay et de l’Institut national d’histoire de l’art soutenu par le Ministère de la Culture et de la communication, consulté le 27/09/2017
2. www.artnet.com (=iR13)
   info on works showed at auctions; many works of Attendu !!!; for full access you have to pay
3. nl.wikipedia.org (=iR5)
4. www.commons.wikimedia.org (=iR6)
   info and images on many artists; download free large images
5. www.eclecticlight.co (=iR35)
   interesting articles on vanished impressionists as Attendu
6. www.wikigallery.com (=iR37)
   a single picture on Attendu
7. RKD=Netherlands Institute for Art History (=iR24)
   limited info; text also in English
8. www.sothebys.com (=iR14)
   references to text documents; unclear if it refers to the artist; attendu means also ‘waited’
9. www.christies.com (=iR15)
   one work of Attendu
10. www.ebay.com (=iR42)
    two works of Attendu
11. www.artprice.com (=iR16)
    searching on artist -> most artists -> info on works showed at auctions (no pictures)
12. www.askart.com (=iR41)
    renders three works of Attendu; for full access you have to pay; the images are limited in size
13. www.laviemoderne.it (=iR34)
    info on impressionism and the eight expositions; one work of Attendu
14. archive.org//1888 (1888/02/21-23, Auction at the American Art Gallery in New York with 1 work of Attendu, no. 20, collection of armor, from the Salon of 1885, 16,5x13inch, owner Thomas Reid; =iR19)
15. artnet.com//attendu (many auctioned works of Attendu; =aR2; iR13)
16. invaluable.com//attendu (some auctioned works of Attendu; =iR17)

 

Recommanded citation: “Antoine-Ferdinand Attendu, a forgotten painter of still-lifes and partaker of the 1st ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1874. Last modified 2024/07/26. https://www.impressionism.nl/attendu-antoine-ferdinand/.”