The Norman Mill - Antoine GUILLEMET (1841-1918)

Antoine GUILLEMET 1841-1918

French painter, landscape artist close to the Impressionists.

He studied at the Beaux-Arts in Paris under the guidance of two great classical masters who greatly influenced his career: Daubigny and Corot.
His meeting with Cézanne in 1861, who then introduced him to Manet, led him to frequent the Impressionists.

Manet even had Guillemet pose for one of his most famous paintings, Le Balcon, and Zola was inspired by him for one of his characters.

Due to his background and friendship with Zola, the artist initially turned to naturalism, and his landscapes were similar to those of the Barbizon school, with a more modern touch.

Present in all the major salons, he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor.

Like many artists, Guillemet was captivated by the poetry of the Normandy landscapes
and more specifically the Cotentin Peninsula.
Normandy had assets that could only attract painters in search of light
and reflection, eager to express their emotions in front of nature on their canvases.
The Normandy region is indeed a land of contrasts.

The diversity and beauty of the landscapes are as evident on the coast as they are in the inland countryside.
Guillemet never tired of painting the shores, hidden ports, and sea.