Adolphe Willette

The Ballerina - Lithograph by Adolphe Willette - Late 19th century

Late 19th century

Adolphe Léon Willette was born in Châlons-sur-Marne on July 30, 1857. He studied for four years at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel. It gave him a unique position among the graphic humorists of France. Whether comedy or tragedy, trivial or political satire, his work is instinct with the profound sincerity of the artist. He set Pierrot upon a lofty pedestal among the imaginary heroes of France and established Mimi Pinson, frail, lovable and essentially good-hearted, in the affections of the nation. Willette is at once the modern Watteau of the pencil and the exponent of sentiments that move the more emotional section of the public. Always a poet and usually gay, fresh and delicate, in his presentation of idylls exquisitely dainty and characteristically Gallic, illustrating the more charming side of love, often pure and sometimes extremely materialistic. Willette frequently revealed himself as bitter and fierce, even ferocious, in his hatreds, being violent though at the same time a generous partisan of political ideas. He was furiously compassionate with love and pity for the people whether they are ground down under the heel of political oppression or merely the victims of unrequited love, suffering all the pangs of graceful anguish that are born of scornful treatment. There is charm even in his thrilling apotheosis of the guillotine and in the introduction into his caricatures of the figure of death itself. The artist was a prolific contributor to the French illustrated press under the pseudonyms, Cemoi, Pierrot, Louison, Bebe and Nox, but more often under his own name. He illustrated Melandri's Les Pierrots and Les Giboulées d'avril, Le Courrier français and published his own Pauvre Pierrot and other works, in which he tells his stories in scenes. He decorated several brasseries artistiques with wall-paintings, stained glass, notably Le Chat Noir and La Palette d'or and he painted the highly imaginative ceiling for La Cigale music hall. His characteristically fantastic Parce Domine was shown in the Franco-British Exhibition in 1908. A remarkable collection of his works was exhibited in 1888. His V'almy is in Luxembourg, Paris. He passed away on February 4, 1926, in Paris, France.