Emile Munier was a famous figurative oil painting artist. His paintings are known for its lively nature and subtle colours. He was born on June 2, 1840 in Paris. His father was an upholstery artist and mother worked in a cloth mill as polisher.
Emile and his elder brother studied in the local school nearby. But the birth of his younger brother Louis changed the fortune of the family. He was sent to a boarding school. All the three boys showed exceptional talent in drawing at an early age. All of them were able to draw their self-portrait before the age of 14. They were more interested to join their father’s career path. The youngest son decided to be a head-foreman.
Emile attended classes in painting, drawing, perspective, anatomy and chemistry. He also studied wool dyeing to become an upholstery artist. His drawing classes were supervised by Abel Lucas. During the course period, he met Abel Lucas’ daughter and married her on August 10,1861.
Emile Munier was a great follower of Bouguereau. During 1860s, he received 3 medals for his outstanding artworks at the Beaux-Arts. He became a father on August 28, 1867. But the baby died after 10 weeks due to rheumatism. He stopped his career as upholstery worker at Gobelins and decided to pursue an artistic career. He also started teaching classes at night.
Emile’s works show a close resemblance with Bouguereau’s painting technique. The colour selection for flesh tones and style of anatomy makes it evident. Here are some of the selected paintings of this great artist. His paintings are widely collected and judged these days. During his lifetime, most of the popular art collectors competed to buy his paintings.
Emile Munier Paintings
Munier was fortunate to visit William Bouguereau’s studio. He became Bouguereau’s student as time passed by. Emile’s important paintings were:
- Le Voleur de Pommes
- La Leçon de Tricot
- Favourite Kitten
