18 Facts About Alphonse Legros

Alphonse Legros moved to London in 1863 and later was naturalized as British.

Alphonse Legros was important as a teacher in the British etching revival.

Alphonse Legros was sent to the art school at Dijon with a view to qualifying for a trade, and was apprenticed to Maitre Nicolardo, house decorator and painter of images.

In 1851, Alphonse Legros left for Paris to take another situation; but passing through Lyon he worked for six months as journeyman wall-painter under the decorator Beuchot, who was painting the chapel of Cardinal Bonald in the cathedral.

In Paris, Alphonse Legros studied with Charles-Antoine Cambon, scene-painter and decorator of theatres.

Alphonse Legros learned the art of etching around 1857, and taught himself the making of medals.

Alphonse Legros sent two portraits to the Paris Salon of 1857: one was rejected, and formed part of the exhibition of protest organized by Francois Bonvin in his studio; the other, which was accepted, was a profile portrait of his father.

In 1859, Alphonse Legros's L'Angelus was exhibited, the first of the church interiors for which he was best known.

Alphonse Legros moved to England in 1863 having been encouraged by his friend, James Abbot McNeil Whistler, and in 1864 married Frances Rosetta Hodgson.

Alphonse Legros then became teacher of etching at the South Kensington School of Art, and in 1876 Slade Professor at University College London in succession to Edward Poynter.

Alphonse Legros had works included in the second Impressionist group exhibition in 1876.

Alphonse Legros's work was much admired by his friend Edgar Degas and a study of hands by him was displayed between two drawings by Ingres in his bedroom.

Whilst teaching at the Slade School Alphonse Legros taught a large contingent of women, who came to be known as the Slade Girls.

Alphonse Legros was naturalized as a British subject in 1881, and remained at University College for 17 years.

Alphonse Legros would draw or paint a torso or a head for the students in an hour or less; in the painting school he insisted on a good outline, preserved by a thin rub in of umber, and then the work was to be finished in a single painting.

Alphonse Legros considered the traditional journey to Italy an important part of artistic training, and gave part of his salary to augment the income available for a travelling studentship.

At the time of his naturalization as in 1881, Legros was described as a married French artist aged 43, living at Brook Green, Hammersmith, with four of his children, Lucien Alphonse, aged 15, Marie Florence, 13, Alfred Victor, 11, and Aimee Clotilde, 3.

Pictures, drawings and etchings by Alphonse Legros, went to the following galleries and museums:.