Awards

 

 

Meta-Impressionism

Awards

Légion d’Honneur

Purchases and assignments

Tribute expositions

 

Introduction:
The presentation of awards was an important componant of the Salon, it’s successor the Salon de la Sociéte des Artistes Français and at the Expositions Universelle. A prestigious award was when an artist was appointed in the Légion d’Honneur. Another way of awarding an artist, was when the state purchased an art-work of an artist or rendered an assignment. Another form of an award were the (posthumous) tribute expositions (at the École des Beaux-Arts). On seperate pages you will find a chronological overview, an overview of (most) highly awarded artists, overviews of awarded impressionists and pictures of the awarded paintings. On this page you will find short info on these awards.
(Note: More information will be rendered in the future.)

Medals at the Salon:
Since 1791 at every Salon medals were awarded by an awards jury*. There were first, second and third class medals, also mentioned as gold, silver and bronze medal. When a same medal was given a second time, it was called a ‘rappèl’. Sometimes there were special awards. From 1863 till 1870 there also was a ‘mention honorable’, a ‘prix du Salon’ and a ‘grande médaille d’honneur’ (R88II,p388;iR1;R231;R5,p20). These prices had several catagories, like Historical Landscape (sinde 1816), etching (R61,p14).

Per year there were 3 1st class, 12 2nd class and 24 3rd class medals awarded for paintings (in 1875; in 1857 this was 3+6+12). And 2+6+12 (2+4+6) for sculpture; 1+2+3 for architecture; and 1+2+4 for engravings and lithographs. The 1st class medal represented a sum of 1.500fr (1857) or 1.000fr (1875); a 2nd class medal 500 (1857) or 600fr (1875); a 3rd class medal 250fr (1857 or 400fr (1875). There were also 1 (1857) or 2 (1875) ‘medailles d’honneurs’ awarded, which represented an sum of 4.000fr.
The prices were awarded for the seperate arts, so for painting, engraving, sculpting and architecture.

The mention ‘hors concours‘ meant that the artist no longer could be nominated for a price (because they already received them in the past) (iR1). This is after receiving a 1st class medal; after receiving a 2nd class (and a 3rd class medal); or after receiving 3x a 3rd class medal. It also applied to members of L’Institut.

This system of prices was continued when the Salon was organised by the ‘Société des Artistes Français’ (=SdAF) 1880 onwards.

In 1877 there were 21 medals handed of which 9 went to pupils of Cabanel en 6 to pupils of Gérôme (R88II,p398).
Some partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions also were awarded at the Salon and it’s successor the Salon de la Société des Artistes Français. Some afterwards exhibited ‘hors concours’.
In 1900 per section there was 1 medaille d’honneur awarded. 12 painters received a 2nd class medal; 31 a 3rd class medal and 44 an honorable mention. The other sections still did know a 1st class medal. (R337).
Note*: Another source mentions this was since 1793 (iR387).

 

Special awards:
Throughout the years several special awards were distributed.
Grand prix de l’Empereur: an amount of 100.000fr, first to be awarded in1869, to an artist that is designated (awarded) for 5 years on a row for a large art-work; to be chosen by a special jury consisting of 30 persons, including 10 from the Académie des Beaux-Arts. (R337/1865). It was given in 1869 to an unknown M. Duc (R337/1870).
Prix de Paris:
Bourse de voyage: The minimum age is 32.
Prix de Salon:
Prix National: The minimum age is 32.
Prices delivered by the Académie des Beaux-Arts:
Prix Henri Lehmann: A triennial price of 3.500fr for an artist younger than 25 for the encouragement of ‘a good classical education’ for a finished art-work, that by choice of subject, the composition, the style and the execution, will distance itself as much as possible from the decline of art that the doctrines advocated today seem to favor (and will protest most eloquently against it).
Prix Brizard: A yearly award of 3.000fr for a French artist younger than 28, not awarded before higher than a 3rd class medal. The even years it is for a landscape, the uneven years for a marine.
Prix Maxime David: A yearly award of 400fr for the best of exhibited miniatures.
Prix Eugène Piot: Based on his testament 1889/11/18: an annual allowance of 2.000fr for a painting or sculpture depicting a naked child aged between 8 and 15 months (in line with the École Florentine’).
Prices delivered by the Société des Artistes Français:
Prix Marie Bashkirtseff: Yearly award of 500fr. given to an artist that was awarded the same year ‘interesting due to its situation’ (R337/1900).
Prix de Raigecourt-Goyon: Yearly award of 1.000fr. to support the career of an artist with talent and maker of a landscape or seascape, excluding artists that exhibit hors concours.
Prix Rose Bonheur: Yearly award of 1.500fr. given by a jury to the (French or foreign) artist of the best painting.
Prix Charles-Jules Robert: Biennial price (in the oneven years) of the rent of 5.000fr given, by the Bureau du Conseil d’administration de la Société des Artistes Français and the jury of ‘Gravure et Lithographie’,  to a young French engraver on wood (younger than 30) for a copy of a painting or a nude.
Sources: R337/1900;

 

Medals at the Exposition Universelle:
Also at the Expositions Universelle (the World exhibitions) prices were awarded. An artist could receive an honorable mention and just like at the Salon, there were first, second and third class medals awarded. The most awarded artists received a Grand Prix. Some partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions also were awarded at the Expositions Universelle.

 

 

Légion d’Honneur:
An important award that an artist could receive was to be appointed in the Légion d’Honneur. More than once this was because of achievements at the Salon or at the Exposition Universelle. First an artist was appointed Chevalier (knight), than Officier, than Commandeur, than Grand Officier and at last, one could receive the ‘Grande Croix’ (iR5;iR1;R231). Many artists were appointed Chevalier. Those who were appointed Officier you will find on the page highly awarded artists. Those who were appointed Commandeur or higher you will find on the page  most highly awarded artists. You can see the appointed artists as the (ultimate) official standerd.
Some partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions also were appointed in the Légion d’Honneur.
See seperate page.

 

Purchases and assignments by the State:
Another form of award was when a work exhibited at the Salon or at the Exposition Universelle, afterwards was bought by the State (or the Emperor till 1870). Mostly, later on it was displayed in one of the French musea.
Another award was when an artist, after success at the Salon, was assigned by the State to make an art-work, for example a mural for a public building.
Some of the art-works of the partakers of the ‘impressionist’ expositions also were purchased or assigned, see.
For more info see seperate page.

 

Posthumous tribute exhibitions at the École des Beaux-Arts:
Some artists were honored with a posthumous exhibition / retrospective at the École des Beaux-Arts or at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts.

  • 1865: Hippolyte Flandrin, an Academic painter; (iR4)
  • 1867/02/12: a posthumous solo exhibition of Ingres (R5,p42)
  • 1874/05/01: Prud’hon with 518 works (R2,p117)
  • 1877: Eugène Fromentin (M1)
  • 1882/03/09: posthumous solo exhibition of Courbet (R5,p128/9)
  • 1884/01/06-28 posthumous solo exhibition of Manet with 179 works (R5,p138; R39,p299)
  • 1885/03/06 – 04/15: posthumous solo exhibition of Delacroix (R5,p142; R39,p300)
  • 1886: Exposition des oeuvres de Baudry (Jacques-Aimé-Paul; 1828-86) (iR489)
  • 1893: retrospective of Meissonier.
  • 1899/01/09 – 30: major retrospective with 457 works (364 paintings; 73 pastels; 20 watercolours) of Boudin (aR10=iR40;R161,p87;iR65)
  • 1902/12/11 – 31: there was a retrospective exposition of Desboutin at the École des Beaux-Arts (R88;aR7;aR9), according to Clément-Janin with 194 paintings, 477 (or 297) engravings and a legion of drawings (or 34) (R158,p112+167).

 

Posthumous tribute exhibitions at other exhibitions:
Some artists were honored with a posthumous exhibition / retrospective at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts or at the Salon d’Automne.

 

Sources:
My main sources are Monneret (1978-81=R88II,p386-403), Cuzin (1982=R97), Brettell (1987=R210). Other sources are Rewald (1973=R1), Walther (2013=R3), Denvir (1993=R5). See the link for other general References (=Rx) and to the internet references (=iRx). See links for practical hints and abbreviations and for the subscription of the paintings.

 

 

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism: Awards; Légion d’honneur; purchases and assigments; tribute expositions. Last modified 2025/12/02.  https://www.impressionism.nl/awards/”

Note: additional info and pictures will follow.

Please be reluctant, when you quote from this webpage, which is under construction.
The information is incomplete and maybe partly incorrect.