Impressionism: partaking 2 ‘impressionist’ expositions
Jacques François
pseudonym for (probably) Mme de Rambure
a vanished, female partaker in 1876 + 77
Jacques François, a female partaker:
Jacques François is the pseudonym for a female artist. She joined the ‘impressionist’ expositions in 1876 and 1877. According to the catalogue she exhibited 8 works in 1876 of which 6 were still-lifes. In 1877 she just exhibited 2 works. She, earlier exhibited a still-life at the Salon of 1873. Probably she is the same as ‘Mme de Rambure’ who according to Caillebotte, also had exhibited in 1876 and 1877. If so, she probably also exhibited in 1886 (outside the catalogue) as Comtesse de Rambure.
Anyway, she was one of the 5 women who did partake the ‘impressionist’ expositions, including Morisot, Cassatt, Marie Bracquemond and Comtesse de Luchaire.
Jacques François at the Salon:
In 1873 a ‘Jacques François’ participated at the Salon. This artist was born in Guadeloupe (Antilles françaises) and rendered as (correspondance) address ‘Veuve de Saint-Martin, rue de Seine, 4 (in Paris). This artist showed 1 still life depicting flowers and fruits. (iR1;aR1,p833;R337/1873,p92)
Charles Garnier reviewed in Le Moniteur Universel of 1873/06/21 on page 1: “Une très-bonne toile de M. Jacques François: les Pêches, qui montre de réelles qualités de coloration” (iR40) (Translation: A very fine painting by Jacques François: Les Pêches (The Peaches), which displays true qualities of colouring.) Note the difference between ‘peaches’ and ‘flowers and fruits’.
Note: Alexandra Morrison (aR1) writes that she received an ‘honourable mention’ in the review of Garnier; this mustn’t be misunderstood with the official award of a ‘mention honorable’. Anyway, Jacques François didn’t receive an official award (R337/1874).
S1873-589, Fleurs et fruits.
Eng.: Flowers and fruits. According to the review of Garnier it depicted also peaches.
Compare a still lifes of other artists depicting at least flowers and peaches: Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) dated 1865 (iR293) and 1868 (iR6;iR15) and 1873 (iR6;M85;M86); Victoria DuBourg (French, 1840 – 1926) dated 1874 (M102).
Jacques François, (probably) a pseudonym for Mme de Rambure:
Monneret mentions at one place that Jacques François was a pseudonym of a female paintress (R88I,p254). Other sources confirm this information and add that she was unknown (R3,p662; R16,p137; R1,p391). But, when Monneret writes about Comtesse de Rambures, she writes ‘(she) seems to be the artist appearing at various impressionist exhibitions under the pseudonym of Jacques-François.’ (R88I,p706). Indirectly this is affirmed by Caillebotte who wrote in a letter to Pissarro that ‘Mme de Rambure’ also exhibited in 1876 and 1877 (R102,p275). And this Mme de Rambure probably is the same as Comtesse de Rambure who exhibited outside the catalogue in 1886.
In a review of ‘H’ (1886/06/11) in ‘Le Journal des arts’ is written: ‘Finally, the blue woman of M. François, and we will end by regretting that most of these paintings are not more seriously finished.’ (R90I,p452) Does this mean that ‘H’ knew that Mme Comtesse de Rambure was the same as M. (Jacques) François? And does this mean, that she probably exhibited several paintings in a more sketchy way, including a ‘blue woman’?
Alexandra Morrison published 2021/09 an interesting article in The Burlington Magazine called ‘A forgotten painter at the Impressionist exhibitions: ‘Jacques François’ or the Marquise de Rambures (1844–1924)’ (aR1). She identifies here as Louise Amour Marie de La Roche de Fontenilles. She was also known as Marquise de Rambures. Morrison refers to a notebook of Degas, in which it is established that Mme de Rambure, whom he had invited in 1876 + 1877, was ‘Marquise de Rambures, née de Bouillé’ (R432,vI,p137).
See for more information the page om Comtesse de Rambure.
Jacques François at the ‘impressionist’ expositions in 1876 + 1877:
Anyway this female paintress joined the 2nd ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1876 as ‘François (Jacques)’ with 8 works (catalogue numbers 73-80; R2,p262;R90I,p49;iR1). The 3rd ‘impressionist’ exposition in 1877 she joined as ‘Jacques-François’ with 2 works (catalogue numbers 74 + 75; R2,p204;R90I,p118;iE1). Moffett doesn’t give any additional information apart from her works in the catalogue. Monneret (R88I), Walther (R3) and Spiess (R16) don’t give any additional information either. Berson omits Jacques-François in her suggestions for the 1877 catalogue, which means there were no reviews (R90II,p74/5). In her suggestions for the 1876 catalogue she refers to some reviews on the numbers 75, 76 and 77 (R90II,p37), but she leaves the works unidentified. I will render these reviews here below.
When we look at the titles of the catalogue of 1876 (see below) ‘Jacques François’ exhibited mainly still lives (no. 73, 74, 77, 78, 79, 80). Besides that she also exhibited two portraits (2IE-1876-76 and 3IE-1877-74). ‘Estamo de tabacco à l’Alhambra’ (2IE-1876-75) depicts the walls of the Alhambra. ‘À Vêpres’ (3IE-1877-75) is probably or a city view or an interieur of a church. It is obvious she didn’t exhibited landscapes, what was common at the ‘impressionist’ expositions. Attendu and Tillot were one of the few who also exhibited many still lives.
Other information we can extract from the catalogue, is that she probably visited the Alhambra in southern Spain (2IE-1876-75), which would suggest she was prosperous. And maybe that she visited an unknown hamlet called Vêpres in the neighbourhood of Lyon or did paint a vespers, which maybe meant she was a religious person (3IE-1877-75). This could correspond with the fact that marquise de Rambures stayed around 1871 in Madrid and in 1899 she published a book with religious texts.
I hope in the future there will be more known about our unknown ‘Jacques François’.
1876 catalogue ‘François (Jacques)’ :
(alphabetically listed as ‘F’)
2IE-1876-73, Raisins
Eng.: Grapes. Probably a still life. Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a large still-life’ (R90I,p64), which can refer to all the still-lifes Jacques-François exhibited, not only no.77 as Berson suggests (R90II,p37).
Laurent-Pichet (iR437) reviewed ‘The fruits and flowers of M. Jacques François, covered with slightly moldy down, lack a good dose of sunshine.’
Compare: a still-life of another painter depicting grapes (M23).
Compare: Johan Laurentz Jensen (1800–1856): A cluster of green grapes, 34x28cm, A2007/09/13 (iR6)
Compare: Fantin-Latour (1836-1904): 1886, Assiette de raisin, 30×33, A2016/03/31 (iR13)
2IE-1876-74, Prunes
Eng.: plums. Probably a still life. Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a large still-life’ (R90I,p64), which can refer to all the still-lifes Jacques-François exhibited, not only no.77 as Berson suggests (R90II,p37).
Laurent-Pichet (iR437) reviewed ‘The fruits and flowers of M. Jacques François, covered with slightly moldy down, lack a good dose of sunshine.’
Compare a still-life of another painter (from her generation) depicting plums (iR155)
Compare: Fantin-Latour (1836-1904): 1880, Nature morte aux prunes, 18×29, A20?? (iR13)
Compare: Fantin-Latour (1836-1904): 1886, Nature morte aux prunes, 29×49, A20?? (iR13)
2IE-1876-75, Estamo de tabacco à l’Alhambra
The meaning of this title is unclear. The Spanish verb ‘estamos’ means ‘we are’. ‘Tabacco’ is an English word, which is written in Spanish as ’tabaco’ and in French as ’tabac’. The Alhambra is the famous Moresque castle in Granada in the South of Spain (see info; see pictures).
‘L’Audience (1876/04/09) reviews that ‘it is worth mentioning’ this work of ‘M. François-Jacques’ (R90I,p53).
Laurent-Pichet (iR437) renders a description: “L’estamo de tabacco à l’Alhambra, has the same cold appearance. These walls, these women, these rags, the three dogs and this half of a donkey, the other half of which remained on the pallet or buried in the dust, would need a burst of bright light.” So, it renders the walls of the Alhambra, women , rags, 3 dogs and a donkey cut of half at the edge of the canvas. This last element is quite a progressive element, also applied by Degas, Caillebotte and others.
So, likely our paintress visited the Alhambra, which would suggest she was prosperous.
Compare coloured litho of another artists partly depicting the same elements. (iR155)
See aR3 for several pictures of the Alhambra.
2IE-1876-76, Portrait de Mme M…
Eng.: Portrait of madame M… Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a nice figure of a young woman’ (R90I,p64).
2IE-1876-77, Le dessert
Eng.: The dessert. Probably a still life. Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a large still-life’ (R90I,p64), which can refer to all the still-lifes Jacques-François exhibited, not only no.77 as Berson suggests (R90I,p64). The review of Gustave Rivière (1876/04/13) was reprinted (1876/05/01) in ‘L’Artiste’ (by Pierre Dax). It is a large and very positive review: ‘M. Jacques François (a lady, I believe) exhibited a remarkable still life, of dried raisins, bakeries, boxes of figs, etc. It is a masterpiece without precedent. Never has a still life been made with this spirit and in this craftsmanship. It is an extraordinary oeuvre that opens a new direction for still life; we can’t repeat it too often, we’ve never seen anything like it. The craftsmanship is broad and varied, very ingenious and daringly feminine. Many other still lifes by the same painter contain the same qualities but are not as important. Mr. Jacques François has just given a result from which many artists will certainly benefit.’ (R90I,p70). The fact that the review writes about ‘dried raisins, bakeries, boxes of figs, etc’ makes it likely it refers to this number 77.
2IE-1876-78, Roses jaunes et raisin
Eng.: yellow roses and grape. Probably a still life. Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a large still-life’ (R90I,p64), which can refer to all the still-lifes Jacques-François exhibited, not only no.77 as Berson suggests (R90II,p37).
Laurent-Pichet (iR437) reviewed ‘One more day of work and the pomegranates will open, and the grapes will become tasty, and the yellow roses will be overwhelmed with abundance.’ and also: ‘The fruits and flowers of M. Jacques François, covered with slightly moldy down, lack a good dose of sunshine.’
Compare a still-life of another painter made in the 1890s depicting pink and yellow roses, accompanied by ripe peaches and grapes from a gallery (see).
Compare a still-life of another painter made in 1911 depicting yellow roses and grapes (and oranges) (iR11)
2IE-1876-79, Raisin et grenades
Eng.: grape and pomegranates. Probably a still life. Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a large still-life’ (R90I,p64), which can refer to all the still-lifes Jacques-François exhibited, not only no.77 as Berson suggests (R90II,p37).
Laurent-Pichet (iR437) reviewed ‘One more day of work and the pomegranates will open, and the grapes will become tasty, and the yellow roses will be overwhelmed with abundance.’ and also: ‘The fruits and flowers of M. Jacques François, covered with slightly moldy down, lack a good dose of sunshine.’
Compare an older still-life of another painter depicting grapes and pomegranates (M101)
Compare: Johan Laurentz Jensen (1800–1856): 1833, Pomegranates and green and blue grapes on a marble frame, 24x31cm, NM Niva (Denmark) (iR6)
2IE-1876-80, Raisin et grenade
Eng.: grape and pomegranate. Probably a still life. Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a large still-life’ (R90I,p64), which can refer to all the still-lifes Jacques-François exhibited, not only no.77 as Berson suggests (R90II,p37).
Laurent-Pichet (iR437) reviewed ‘One more day of work and the pomegranates will open, and the grapes will become tasty, and the yellow roses will be overwhelmed with abundance.’ and also: ‘The fruits and flowers of M. Jacques François, covered with slightly moldy down, lack a good dose of sunshine.’
Compare a still-life of another painter depicting grapes and a pomegranate (and also peaches and prumes) (iR11)
Compare: Johan Laurentz Jensen (1800–1856): 1836, Still life with a tazza of grapes, pomegranate, pansies, chrysanthemums, forget-me-nots and other flowers on a marble ledge, 13x19cm, A2004/11/17 (iR6; iR316)
1877 catalogue ‘Jacques-François’ :
(alphabetically listed as ‘J’)
3IE-1877-74, Portrait de madame B…
Eng.: portrait of madam B…
Maybe this is a self-portrait of Marie de Bouillé, maybe a portrait of her mother or an aunt.
3IE-1877-75, À Vêpres
This could indicate a location. On Google maps I could not find a location with this name. There are two ‘chemin de Vêpres’ and one ‘rue de Vêpres’ in the neighbourhood of Lyon.
But ‘à vêpres’ also means at vespers or evensong, which would indicate a painting of a church service celebrating vespers, or a choir singing the vespers or some people present during a vespers.
Compare a paintings of a vesper service from other painters: Louis Massin (late 19th century?) (iR11); Francesco Bergamini (1818-83) (iR11). Gari Melchers (1860-1932) depicted several church services including vespers, but the style is more post-impressionistic (Telfair museum); (iR433); (iR6).
Compare a painting of women present during a vesper service of Mieczysław Reyzner (1861-1941) (National Museum, Lublin)
It could also mean a vespers meal (in a monastry). Compare Adolf Humborg (1847-1921) (iR6)
Reviews on ‘Jacques François’:
There were some reviews in 1876 who mention ‘Jacques François’, but none in 1877 (R90I):
Emile Blémont (1876/04/09) mentions ‘a large still-life’ (R90I,p64)
Philip Burty (1876/04/15) reviewed ‘some nature mortes (…) by a woman of society who adopts the pseudonym of Jacques François. She has a very harmonious palette, and uses grays and free tints with remarkable skill’ (R90I,p65).
Pierre Dax / Rivière (1876/05/01) reviewed (especially referring to 2IE-1876-77) ‘Mr. Jacques François (a lady, I believe) exhibited a remarkable still life with raisins, pastries, boxes with figs, etc. It is a masterpiece without precedent. Never has a still life been done with this spirit and in this style. It is an extraordinary work and opens a new way to the still life; we could not repeat it enough, we have never seen anything like it. The facture is wide and varied, very ingenious and of a very feminine boldness. Many other still lifes by the same painter contain the same qualities without being as important. Mr. Jacques François has just given a result that many artists will certainly benefit from.’ (R90I,p70/1)
Emile Porcheron (1876/04/04) reviewed ‘Two still lifes by Mr. Jacques Français are not without skill; but why did you sprinkle them with rice powder?’ (R90I,p103)
And also: L. Laurent-Pichet in Le Phare de Loire 1876/06/01 (iR437)
“Les fruits et les fleurs de M. Jacques François, revêtus d’un duvet un peu moisi, manquent d’un vigoureux coup de soleil.
L’estamo de tabacco à l’Alhambra présente le même aspect de froid. Ces murailles, ces femmes, ces chiffons, ces trois chiens et cette moitié d’âne dont le reste est demeuré sur la palette ou enfoui dans la poussière, auraient besoin d’un coup d’ardente lumière. Un jour de travail de plus et les grenades s’ouvriront, et les raisins deviendront savoureux, et les roses jaunes se pâmeront de maturité.”
Translation English: The fruits and flowers of M. Jacques François, covered with slightly moldy down, lack a good dose of sunshine.
L’estamo de tabacco à l’Alhambra, has the same cold appearance. These walls, these women, these rags, the three dogs and this half of a donkey, the other half of which remained on the pallet or buried in the dust, would need a burst of bright light. One more day of work and the pomegranates will open, and the grapes will become tasty, and the yellow roses will be overwhelmed with abundance.
‘Jacques François’, sources:
My main sources are Monneret (1978-81=R88I), Berson (1996=R90), Morrison (2021=aR1), Rewald (1973 =R1), Moffett (1986 = R2), Berhaut (1994=R102), Walther (2013 = R3,p662) and Spiess (1992 = R16,p137). All the other sources I used don’t mention her at all. Search on the internet has not much use. ‘Jacques’ and ‘François’ are very common french first names, so you will get an enormous list of hits. This also is the case with the Salon database (iR1). Even if you add ‘painter’ you won’t get a match. The french Wikipedia (iR4) site renders a page on ‘Jacques François’, but this is another person. Nowhere could I find one picture of this unknown paintress. For other general references (=R) see. For other references to internet sites (=iR) see.
Additional references:
- Alexandra Morrison: “A forgotten painter at the Impressionist exhibitions: ‘Jacques François’ or the Marquise de Rambures (1844–1924)”, The Burlington Magazine, London September 2021; page 832-835. (PDF version)
- Review of L. Laurent-Pichet in Le Phare de Loire 1876/06/01 (iR437)
- mdpi.com (article with pictures on the Alhambra; compare 2IE-1876-75, Estamo de tabacco à l’Alhambra)
Recommanded citation: “Impressionism: Jacques François, a vanished, female partaker of the ‘impressionist’ expositions in 1876 + 1877 and probably 1886. Last modified 2025/12/30. https://www.impressionism.nl/francois-jacques/.”