Under the orange tree

Virginie Demont-Breton, born Virginie Élodie Marie Thérèse Breton on July 26, 1859, in Courrières, France, and passing on January 10, 1935, in Paris, was a distinguished French painter and writer. Born into an artistic lineage, she was the daughter of Jules Breton and niece of Émile Breton, both celebrated painters, and her mother, Élodie de Vigne, was a painter and model, daughter of the Flemish painter and historian Félix de Vigne. In 1880, she married Adrien Demont, a landscape painter, with whom she had three daughters. The couple's discovery of the coastal village of Wissant in 1881 marked a turning point in their lives, leading them to settle there permanently by 1891 in their uniquely designed villa, Typhonium. Demont-Breton's artistic career was marked by early success, overcoming familial reservations to pursue her passion. She debuted at the Salon des artistes français in 1880 and went on to win gold medals at the Amsterdam World's Fair in 1883 and the Paris Expositions Universelles in 1889 and 1900. Her contributions to art were recognized with the Legion of Honor, first as a knight in 1894 and then as an officer in 1914. Her work often depicted the lives of the Wissant community, focusing on mothers, children, and fishermen, capturing the essence of coastal life with profound empathy and skill. Beyond painting, she authored a collection of poems, 'Tendresse dans la tourmente,' in 1920, and a four-volume memoir, 'Les Maisons que j'ai connues,' between 1926 and 1930, reflecting her literary talent and deep connection to her surroundings.