Born : 1826Died : 1900Documented citizenships : France
The French painter Alexandre Defaux, associated with the Barbizon School and whose full name was Jean Alexandre Defaux, was born in Bercy on 27 September 1826 and died in Melun on 4 March 1900. A pupil of Jean-Baptiste Corot, he worked mainly in oil, while also practising pastel and watercolour. His early landscapes are described as marked by Corot: they include expansive panoramic urban views and figures dressed as Neapolitan peasants. In the 1850s, he also painted views of Norman towns and large medieval churches.
Defaux’s subjects range from landscapes to lively scenes. He painted sunny farmyards where hens or geese gathered, as well as quiet woodland scenes, described as removed from all human or animal activity. He worked almost exclusively in the Barbizon region or in Normandy. His repertoire also includes scenes of Parisians boating and picnics among flocks of sheep. At the 1859 Salon, he presented quarries around Montmartre and woodland scenes from the Fontainebleau region. He exhibited regularly at the Salon until 1897. La Forêt de Fontainebleau, shown hors concours at the 1879 Salon, was acquired by the French state; a large canvas depicting the Breton cliffs and the port of Pont-Aven was also acquired in 1880. His distinctions at the Salon include a third-class medal in 1871, a third prize in 1874, a second-class medal in 1875 and a second medal in 1879. He received the insignia of a knight of the Legion of Honour in 1881.
This profile brings together identity references for Alexandre Defaux and paintings, drawings and works on paper documented in auction catalogues.
Documented auction references
16auction references
3auction houses
13documented results with prices
Dobiaschofsky · Piguet · Schuler
References include catalogue entries and available results; they do not all represent completed sales. Attributed works and special lots are excluded from the priced results.
Works recorded at auction
Photograph : Piguet · Enlarge image ↗
Piguet
Poules, coqs et poussins au poulailler
Oil on panel
Original catalogue wording
Poules, coqs et poussins au poulailler huile sur panneau
SwissArtGallery documentary note based on the cited sources. Titles, media and qualifications are provided in the profile language; the original catalogue wording remains available in each record. Profile updated :
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