"M. Hayem" by Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884)

Simon Hayem (M. Hayem)

Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884)

1875

Oil on canvas

40.5 x 32.6 cm (15 15/16 x 12 13/16 in.)

National Gallery of Art, Washington

Source: Crastre, Plate VI, following p. 48 (though wrongly identified here as a portrait of "M. X—"). See commentary below.

Image download, text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee.

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Simon Hayem was a successful Jewish merchant, father of art collector Charles Hayem, and son-in-law of philosopher Adolphe Franck. According to Philip Nord,

Republican society was remarkable in its time for its welcoming attitude to distinguished members of France’s religious minorities. So remarkable, indeed, that the regime’s enemies were wont to tar it as a creature of Protestant, masonic, and Jewish influence. The new painters were accomplished chroniclers of the republican scene. It is little surprise then how often Jewish and Protestant subjects crop up in the impressionist portrai ture and genre painting of the day.[59]

Another factor no doubt was the appreciation and patronage of art by the Jewish community, in particular.

Despite having labelled this portrait "M. X—," Crastre's caption for it is suitable enough:

Bastien-Lepage possessed the rare quality of being able to bestow the same superior skill upon every part of a portrait. Being sincere before all else, he never tried to shirk any difficulty; this is seen in the care he took in painting the hands of all his various sitters, showing something akin to vanity in the marvellous talent he displayed in rendering them. In this portrait — just as in all the others — the hands are quite as truly a miracle of execution as the face itself. [following p. 48]

Related Material

Bibliography

Crastre, François. Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884). Frederick A. Stokes, 1914. Internet Archive. Contributed by University of California Libraries. Web. 12 March 2020.

Nord, Philip. Impressionists and Politics: Art and Democracy in the Nineteenth Century. London: Routledge, 2000.

Created 12 March 2020