Jules NOËL (1810-1881)

Jules Noël, whose real name was Louis Assez Noël, was a French painter and illustrator born on February 24, 1810, in Nancy and died on March 26, 1881, in Algiers. He is best known for his seascapes, harbor views, and scenes of Breton life. When he was very young, his family moved to Quimper, in Brittany, a region whose seascapes would profoundly influence his work. He began drawing as a child and studied art in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts, where he perfected his technique. Jules Noël began his career as an art teacher in Saint-Pol-de-Léon, then in Brest, where he taught for many years. Alongside his teaching activities, he painted numerous pictures depicting the Breton coastline, ports, and maritime activities. His style, halfway between Romanticism and Realism, is distinguished by its great attention to the effects of light and the atmosphere of the places he depicted. He exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1840 onwards and received praise from several critics, including Charles Baudelaire. In 1863, he was appointed professor of drawing at the École Polytechnique in Paris, a position he held until his retirement in 1879.

With his health declining, he moved to Algiers, where he died in 1881. Although he was never officially appointed painter to the Navy, Jules Noël remains one of the most iconic artists of 19th-century maritime painting. His work, imbued with poetry and sensitivity, continues to be appreciated for its accuracy and beauty.