Auguste Toulmouche

Auguste Toulmouche (1829–1890), French, Auguste Toulmouche, born on September 21, 1829, in Nantes, France, emerged as a distinguished painter of Parisian life during the Second Empire. The son of Émile Toulmouche, a broker, and Rose Sophie Mercier, he grew up in a well-off bourgeois family, initially residing at 12 bis, rue de la Fosse before moving to a newly constructed house at 33, rue de la Bastille. Toulmouche honed his craft under the tutelage of Charles Gleyre, quickly gaining recognition for his depictions of elegant Parisian women, which earned him the nickname 'the painter of the Parisian women' from Émile Zola, who admiringly referred to his subjects as 'delicious dolls.'
Toulmouche's career was marked by early success, debuting at the Salon in 1848 and receiving a third-class medal in 1852 for his work 'Joseph and the Wife of Potiphar.' His reputation was further cemented by awards in 1861 and at the 1878 Universal Exposition. Beyond his artistic achievements, Toulmouche's personal life intertwined with the art world through his marriage to Marie Lecadre in 1861, making him a cousin by marriage to Claude Monet. He played a role in Monet's early career, overseeing the disbursement of his allowance. Decorated with the Legion of Honor in 1870, Toulmouche's work reflects the opulence and sophistication of his era, drawing parallels with contemporaries like Alfred Stevens and Carolus-Duran. He passed away on October 16, 1890, in Paris, leaving behind a legacy as a chronicler of the Second Empire's fashionable society.