Victorine Meurent first appeared in the studio of Thomas Couture at age sixteen, beginning a career that spanned from professional modeling to exhibiting her own works at the Paris Salon. Beyond her status as a prominent nineteenth-century art model, she practiced as a trained painter, later gaining induction into the Société des Artistes Français in 1903.
Early Life and Modeling Career
Born in 1844 in the former 6th arrondissement of Paris, Meurent was the daughter of a milliner and a bronze patinator. She gained early recognition in the Parisian art scene for her petite stature and distinctive red hair. Her collaboration with Édouard Manet, which began in 1862 for his painting The Street Singer, included his masterpieces Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Olympia. During the 1860s and 1870s, she also modeled for Edgar Degas, Alfred Stevens, Norbert Goeneutte, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Her professional life included a 1868 tour to New York as a cancan dancer performing in Jacques Offenbach operettas.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Transition to Independent Painter
Meurent sought a more academic style of painting, leading to an estrangement from Manet as she pursued formal education. She took classes at the Académie Julian and studied under the portraitist Étienne Leroy starting in 1875. In 1876, she successfully submitted her own work to the Paris Salon, achieving acceptance in a year when the jury rejected Manet's submissions. She exhibited at the Salon on four occasions, including 1879, 1885, and 1904, presenting works such as Bourgeoise de Nuremberg au XVIe siècle.
Life in Colombes
By 1906, Meurent relocated to the commune of Colombes, northwest of Paris. She lived there in a house shared with Marie Dufour, continuing to identify as an artist well into her seventies, as noted in a 1921 census. After Meurent died in 1927 at the age of 83, her belongings were liquidated following the 1930 death of her companion. While many of her works were lost, her Self-Portrait resides in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and Le Jour des Rameaux is held by the Colombes History Museum.
Fast facts
- Born: 1844, former 6th arrondissement of Paris
- Died: 1927, Colombes
- Occupations: Painter, art model
- Education: Académie Julian
- Notable work: Self-Portrait
- Citizenship: France
Questions readers ask
Did Victorine Meurent only work as a model?
No, she was a trained painter who exhibited her own work at the Paris Salon four times.
Where can her paintings be seen today?
Her works are in the collections of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the Colombes History Museum.
Achievements
- Notable work: Self-Portrait
.jpg)