Painter of history, portraits, orientalists scenes and religious subjects, Louis Devedeux is born in Clermont-Ferrand, capital of Auvergne, July 8, 1820. Very young person, it goes to the art school of its birthplace and follows the lessons of Felix Bachellery, pupil of Gros. Very gifted, it is quickly registered in 1836 as pupil of the School of Fine Arts of Paris where he integrates the workshops of Paul Delaroche and Alexandre Descamps. Paul Delaroche will enter him two times at the competition of the Prize of Rome whereas Alexandre Descamps regards him as his godson in painting and durably influences him in the effects of the colour and his attachment with the orientalist painting. The following year, he obtains the 2nd medal of the Royal School of Fine Arts.

In 1838, he begins in the Salon of the French Artists with the “Portrait of Mme. de ... ” and enters himself at the Great Prize of Rome. He succeeds the examination of the first 2 tests and is found among the 10 candidates for the final test, the subject being “the scourging of Christ”, but fails unfortunately.

Some time after, he goes back to Clermont-Ferrand to open an important workshop of artists where he will form a great number of painters. It is there that he will create the majority of his works which he will regularly send to the Salon at Paris, except in 1843 and 1844 where he exposes to Moulins sur Allier. In 1843, he receives a medal of the Central Company of the Friends of Arts in Province and enters the second time for the Great Prize of Rome in 1845. It will have less chance than the first time, failing to the second  test.

In 1848, he paints “Christ in the garden of the olive-trees” for the church Saint Jean d' Heurs (Puy de Dôme) which is the only known religious painting of the artist, then continuous to expose in the Salon while following the training of his pupils. In 1852, the State buys the “Portrait of Christophe de Beaumont” (Paris, Musée of Orsay). In the years which follow, he shows his canvas at Clermont Ferrand (1863), Hamburg (1873) and Vienna (1876). Napoleon III buys “the merchants of slaves” in 1867 (Fine Art Museum of Rennes) while the Senate acquires in 1874 “Elisabeth, Queen of England and Sir Walter Raleigh”, his last work.

Louis Devedeux dies in Paris in the commune of Passy in 1874 and his parisian workshop is sold in auction sales, April the 2, and 3 1875.

Bibliography :

• Benezit : « Dictionnaire des peintres, graveurs, dessinateurs et sculpteurs », Paris, Ed.Gründ, 1999
• Thieme et Becker : « allgemeines lexicon der bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zur gegenwart », Leipzig, 1907- 1950
• Bellier et Auvray : « Dictionnaire des artistes de l’Ecole française », Paris, 1882
• Dictionnaire de bibliographie française, Paris, 1967
• André Roussard : « Dictionnaire des peintres à Montmartre », Paris, 2004
• G.Marc : « Les Beaux Arts en Auvergne et à Paris », Paris, 1889

Museology :

• Paris,Orsay Museum: « Portrait of Christophe de Beaumont »
• Paris, Sénat Museum: «Elisabeth, Queen of England »
• Clermont-Ferrand, Fine Art Museum : many works as the « Portrait of the Duc de Morny », the « Portrait of Desaix in Egypt », The « Country of Limagne d’Auvergne »,ect…
• Riom, Fine Art museum : « Portrait of Mme Devedeux »
• Meaux, Bossuet Museum  : «Romantic ruins »
• Rennes, musée des Beaux arts : « Le marchand d’esclaves »
• New York, Metropolitain Museum : « scene of harem »
• Copenhague (Denmark), Rasmussen Museum
• Saint Petersbourg (Russia), The Hermitage Museum