Henri Félix Emmanuel Philippoteaux

Henri Félix Emmanuel Philippoteaux (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ʁi feliks emanɥɛl filipɔto]; 3 April 1815 – 8 November 1884) was a French artist and illustrator, known primarily as a battle painter.

Life and works

He was born in Paris, France, studied art at the studio of Léon Cogniet,^[1] and first exhibited his work at the Paris Salon of 1833.^[1]

One of his best-known works was a depiction of the Siege of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War,^[2][3] painted in the form of a cyclorama, a type of large panoramic painting on the inside of a cylindrical platform designed to provide a viewer standing in the middle of the cylinder with a 360° view of the painting. Viewers surrounded by the panoramic image are meant to feel as if they are standing in the midst of a historic event or famous place.

Philippoteaux also produced a large number of works chronicling the rise and successes of Napoleon Bonaparte, including a portrait of Napoleon in his regimental uniform and a group of paintings of French victories in the Napoleonic Wars. Philippoteaux was awarded the Légion d'honneur in 1846.^[1][4]

Philippoteaux's son Paul Philippoteaux was also an artist; both were famous for their production of cycloramas. Father and son collaborated on The Defence of the Fort d'Issy in 1871. They also collaborated on a cyclorama of the Battle of Gettysburg that became a celebrated work in the United States:

"One cyclorama, however, halted the slide in popularity, and almost single-handedly revived the public's interest in the medium for another decade...this singular creation was initially painted in 1882-83 by Henry F. Philippoteaux and Paul Philippoteaux, a father and son team of French artists...within a year, half a million people had stood before it."^[5]

Father and son enhanced the artistic effect of their cylindrical painting by adding a third dimension, including elements of diorama placed in front of the painting, and by incorporating sections of walls and battlefield objects that blended into the painted parts of the presentation.^[6]

He died in 1884 in Paris and his obituary in the New York Times appeared on November 10, 1884.^[1]

Partial list of works

• 
  The Numbering of the Israelites, engraving
• 
  The Battle of Waterloo: The British Squares Receiving the Charge of the French Cuirassiers, 1874
• 
  Arrival of "la Dorade" at Courbevoie on 14 December 1840., 1867, Château de Malmaison
• 
  Napoleon at the Battle of Rivoli, 1845, oil on canvas
• 
  Episode de la Campagne de Russie, 1848, Musée de l'Armée, Paris

References

External links

• Gallery of Philippoteaux works at New York Public Library
• Philippoteaux's The Siege of Paris cyclorama
• Panorama of the Defence of Paris, 1875 work at google books

This page was last edited on 10 August 2023, at 10:21