Eugène Isabey

Nationality: French

1803 - 1886

The son of miniaturist Jean-Baptiste Isabey, Eugène Isabey specialized in marine paintings, particularly storms and sea wrecks. He was influenced by romantic painters such as Théodore Géricault, Eugène Delacroix, Richard Parkes Bonington, and J.M.W. Turner. Starting with his Paris Salon debut in 1824, he regularly won first-class medals in both the Salon and the Exposition Universelle. He was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1832 and promoted to officer of the order in 1852. In 1830, Isabey embarked on a diplomatic expedition to Algiers at the request of the king, charged with recording scenes of French naval activities. He also painted landscapes along the Channel coast, at one time sharing a studio with Auguste-Xavier Leprince in Honfleur, and his work in Normandy influenced early impressionists like Eugène Boudin and Johann Jongkind.

Place of Birth: Paris
Place of Death: Montévrain, Seine-et-Marne

Text written and researched by Michelle Bird National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.