Filippo Colarossi

Colarossi wanted to establish his own school where he could provide an art education for the many students, male and female, that were flocking to Paris. Henri Duval writes that Colarossi had through 'economy and right living' saved the funds necessary to set up a school. He may also have had financial help as The Artist – An Illustrated Monthly Record of Arts, Crafts and Industries asserts that the wealthy Meissonier helped him to get started in an art school, perhaps by giving him an advance. So, Colarossi purchased the then renowned Académie Suisse. This academy was established by the model and painter of miniatures Martin François Suisse (1781–1859) at 4, Quai des Orfèvres on the Île de la Cité, Paris in 1817. In 1858, Suisse had retired and left his academy to a nephew, while remaining an honorary professor. However, it was the artist Étienne Prosper Crébassol (1806–1883) that soon took on the ownership, certainly the running, of the academy, renaming it Académie Suisse-Crébassol. Suisse died in 1859 at his home, aged 78. Passe writes that in 1876 the Ateliers de Dessin et de Peinture were more-or-less limited to Académie Julian in the Passage des Panoramas (see Crombie) and Crébassol's insufficient, little course in Rue Gît-le-Cœur. He makes no mention of the Académie Colarossi (see below), the renowned art school, so it is doubtful it had been established. Indeed, advertisements for the school did not appear in newspapers until 1881 and 1882. Furthermore, an article in Le Petit Journal, 1882, refers to "la nouvelle académie libre" ("the new free academy"). Assertions of an earlier purchase date sometime around 1870, are made further implausible by the disruptions of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune (1871). It would seem that Crébassol had moved the school to No. 12, Rue Gît-le-Cœur, 6th arrondissement, over the river from the Quai des Orfèvres. Passe further states that two years later in 1879 the aged Crébassol sold his studio to Colarossi for the sum of 500 francs. Crébassol was by this time 73 years old and was presumably no longer able and/or willing to maintain his academy any longer. He died at home in 1883. Colarossi first renamed his acquisition Académie de la Rose ("Academy of the Rose"), later renaming it Académie Colarossi. In 1880, he transferred its premises to 10 Rue de la Grande Chaumière in Montparnasse (6th arrondissement). where he had added six studios to his newly acquired rear courtyard premises behind a certain Miss Bonnefoy's grocery store. A Miss Ross who attended the academy in 1889, describes the entrance to the building: "... the Colarossi. The school in which I chose to study, is situated in the Latin Quarter. Entering from the street one walks through a narrow arched passage on which open the kitchens of the adjoining houses. Then into an open square court fitted up with statues and plants and bounded by houses whose facades are ornamented with weather-stained busts and casts. One of the four-storied buildings making the side of the court is the school...." Colarossi was also to establish annexes, for example, at 96 Rue Blanche (9th arrondissement), 13 Rue Washington (8th arrondissement) for ladies only, and, most prominently, at 43 Avenue Victor Hugo (16th arrondissement). • Illustration — Filippo Colarossi poses as a cavalier for the Finnish artist Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946), 1881 Finnish Exhibition of Fine Arts, Helsinki. Colarossi wanted his academy to be a progressive school where one could get training that was not available at the more conservative École. Women and men could share classes, and women were also allowed to draw and paint nude models, both male and female. Colarossi was from the start a firm believer in mixed classes as it was an advantage to both men and women to be able to watch, compare and discuss each other's work. There was no entrance exam, but there were fees to be paid. Here, equality between the sexes was less apparent. Most schools demanded higher fees of their female students, than their male counterparts. For example, to study at the Colarossi Academy, Rue de la Grande Chaumière, the following fees applied in 1887: • for men, one month, day 16 francs, evening 15 francs • for women, one month, day 20 francs, evening 20 francs The usual explanation for the difference was that the attendance of women could not be relied upon. Women often remained for a month or two, but men tended to stay for years, many having the intention of seeking entry to the École des Beaux-Arts. Most women were not studying professionally, so their luxury was set at a higher price. It must be remembered that only in 1897, after a long and heated campaign by activists, were women finally allowed to sit the entrance exam to the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris and perhaps be one of the few to study there for free, albeit with some restrictions. In 1900, female students were admitted on a more-or-less equal footing with male students, though they were not allowed to enter the competition for the prestigious Prix de Rome until 1903. Notable students of the academy included Paul Gauguin (1848–1903), Claude-Émile Schuffenecker (1851–1934), Helene Schjerfbeck (1862–1946), Camille Claudel (1864–1943), Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939), Paula Modersohn-Becker (1876–1907) and others. Colarossi's considerable experience and status as a leading model allowed him to recruit the best of models, many from his native Lazio region of Italy. Penelope Little states that Colarossi actively enticed his impoverished countrymen to Paris where they could provide a constant and plentiful supply of affordable models. In 1880, a list of models in Paris recorded that of 671 models, 230 were Italian, the rest being of various nationalities. Italian models were not just admired for their looks, but also their tractability, ability to hold the pose for long periods and dedication. Their willingness to accept lower fees was also exploited. Colarossi's compatriots became very popular models for thirty or so years before their fortunes slowly began to wane due to the move from classicism to realism in art. Every Monday for many years, models gathered outside No. 10 for an event known as Le Marché aux Modèles that extended from the academy's courtyard, through the passageway and into the street. Men, women and children in various types of clothing, ranging from everyday attire to traditional costumes waited to find employment for the week, as the school offered higher pay than competing institutions. In 1891, a newspaper correspondent, reported that models would sit, with changes and breaks, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. The only official holiday was on 14 July, when France celebrates its National Day. Colarossi also employed some of the best artists to teach at his academy. In the 1880s and 90s for example, they included painters Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848–1884), Gustave-Claude-Etienne Courtois (1852–1923), Raphaël Collin (1850–1916), Louis-Auguste Girardot (1856–1933), René Schützenberger (1860–1916), Jean-André Rixens (1846–1925) and Édouard Debat-Ponsan (1847–1913). His sculptors included Alexandre Falguière (1831–1900), Jean Antoine Injalbert (1845–1933) and Alfred Boucher (1850–1934). These artists were academically trained, but did not impose any academic orthodoxy. They would visit twice a week to give their criticism on the work of each student. All students were taught by a number of teachers, and allowed to nurture any personal character or originality they might have. Colarossi and his teachers also socialised with students outside of the academy, at bars, restaurants, parties, exhibitions etc. He would often invite students to his country place at Fontenay-aux-Roses to eat and discuss Art. Colarossi did everything he could to ensure his own personal happiness and success. He believed that his academy was blessed from on high and was destined for glory. Since its first incarnation as Académie Suisse, many of its students, like Gustave Courbet (1819–1877) and the Impressionists, had become great artists. These, he believed, kept a protective eye on the academy from heaven. On Earth, he was proud of the fact that he had the pick of the best Italian models and talented teachers who took great pride in doing their utmost for the school. Thus, the living would also assure his academy's good fortune. Writing in 1889, French's view is more down-to-earth: "The heads of the private schools, …, are not distinguished artists at all, but rather business men, managers of tact and address. Colarossi is an Italian and was formerly a model in the art schools. He is a cordial, business-like man, and does some modelling in clay. His evening classes are much frequented." Writing in 1896, when she was a student at the academy, Alice Muskett gave another realistic, more detailed and nuanced, description of the man and the personal attributes that contributed to his success: " 'Il Padrone', M. Colarossi, comes in to see how many nouvelles there are, and also that everything goes well. I am bound to confess that M. Colarossi is not awe-inspiring in appearance; he is short and ordinary looking; dresses carelessly also. But then he is the most obliging of maestro's, always willing to accommodate his students in the matter of classes, fees, and models. Will allow you to change classes or take a week's holiday, with the best of grace, and accepts your fees quite apologetically.... As far as one can judge, Colarossi rules his little world wisely and fairly, and he seems to possess the royal gift of remembering everyone's face and recognising them when he meets them." In reality, though Colarossi's academy became a great success, it was not all plain sailing. Writing in 1890, Harrison asserts that the academy was reduced to half its former size by the draining influence of its great rival, the Académie Julian, whose paid professors dominated the Salon and favoured Julian's 600–800 students.