Augustin Thierriat (1789-1870) - Study of Pavots

Augustin THIERRIAT (Lyon, 1789 - Lyon, 1870).
Study of Pavots.
Competition for the “Flower class” of the Lyon drawing school, 1809.
1809.
Charcoal and white chalk drawing on gray paper.
H: 53 ; L: 40.5 cm.

This drawing constitutes the first referenced work of Augustin Thierrat, a key flower painter of the Lyon school.

The young Thierrat enrolled in the Imperial School of Fine Arts in Lyon in 1807 and joined the “Flower class” headed by an eminent professor, Jacques Barraband.
As soon as the school opens, competitions for students are organized at the end of the school year for each class (painting, sculpture, architecture and flower painting) and give rise to official award ceremonies. price.

Our drawing constitutes Augustin Thierrat's participation in the competition of the year 1809 for the "Flower class". During the distribution of prizes, which took place on July 31, 1809 [1], Thierrat received an honorable mention [2].

Several annotations, visible on our drawing, bear witness to this verdict.
At bottom right, the inscription "Bony pour Mr Barraband" refers to Thierrat's teachers at the drawing school: Jacques Barraband and Jean-François Bony. The latter was appointed substitute teacher for the Fleur class in 1809, replacing Barraband, whose health deteriorated until his death on October 1, 1809. Thus, Jean-François Bony, in place of the school's historical teacher, validated Thierriat's work for the competition.
At the bottom left, the "honorable mention" received by the artist is written above the signatures of the jury members. We recognize the names of three painters from Lyon; Jean-Michel Grobon, Claude Cochet and Fleury Épinat; and an embroiderer merchant; Jacques Bellacla. The last signature could not be identified.

- [1] Bulletin de Lyon, 2 septembre 1809, p. 2.
- Marie-Claude Chaudonneret, "L’enseignement artistique à Lyon.Au service de la Fabrique ?" dans Le temps de la peinture, Lyon 1800-1914, Fage éditions, Lyon, pp.29-35.
- [2] Élisabeth Hardouin-Fugier, Fleurs de Lyon 1807-1917, catalogue exposition au Palais Saint-Pierre, Musée des Beaux-Arts Lyon Juin-Septembre 1982, Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Art, 1982, p. 329.