The 1914 Salon des Artistes Français Visitor's Catalogue Produced by Le Bon Marche

No reviews

This lovely linen bound booklet from the private collection of Eugene Dubillon was produced by Le Bon Marche as both a guide for visitor's to the 1914 exhibition and as an illustration of the wonderful items that could be bought at Le Bon Marche. It was given to wealthy clients of the department store.

The 1914 Salon des Artistes Français was a pivotal annual exhibition held in Paris, marking the onset of World War I and reflecting a significant shift in artistic themes from historical grandeur to defensive patriotism. Organized by the Société des Artistes Français and held at the Grand Palais, this edition showcased approximately 3,500 exhibitors and nearly 4,800 works, continuing the tradition of the official Salon which artists had taken over from state control in 1881.

Key characteristics of the 1914 Salon included:

• Thematic Shift: There was a marked decline in historical painting and overt "revanchist" themes (revenge for the 1870 defeat), with such subjects dropping to less than 1% of the total works. Instead, the exhibition featured defensive patriotism, with notable works like Édouard Debat-Ponsan’s Ceux qui veillent and Alfred Boucher’s sculpture S’il le faut ! emphasizing national readiness and vigilance rather than aggression.

• Notable Artists and Awards: Prominent artists such as Gustave Dennery and Corneille Theunissen (sculpture) received gold medals (1st class) that year. The salon also featured works by Jeanne d'Arc iconography, which remained a resilient patriotic symbol, with multiple pieces dedicated to her by artists like Raymond Balzé and Antonin Mercié.

• Archival Record: The exhibition is well-documented in the Catalogue illustré du Salon, published by L. Baschet, which remains a key resource for understanding the artistic landscape on the eve of the Great War. The event underscored the salon's role as a mirror of French taste, even as it faced growing competition from avant-garde groups like the Salon d'Automne and Salon des Indépendants.

This rare guide will ship with full international tracking as standard and will be accompanied by a hand signed letter from Bruno Dubillon, great grandson of Eugene Dubillon.