Jean Gigoux

Jean François Gigoux was a French painter, lithographer, illustrator and art collector.

Biography

His father, Claude Étienne Gigoux, was a blacksmith, originally from Seveux. He began his artistic studies at the, then transferred to the École des Beaux-Arts of Paris in 1828, where he studied with Théodore Géricault and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, who helped him finance a study trip to Italy. In 1831, he had his debut at the Salon of 1831.
In 1833, he became a contributor to Le Magasin pittoresque. Two years later, he created several hundred woodcuts for Gil Blas by Alain-René Lesage, which brought him a great deal of notoriety. He was named a Chevalier in the Legion of Honour in 1842. Several of his students became well-known; notably Henri Baron, Léopold Flameng and François-Louis Français.
Despite his professional successes, he may be best remembered for taking Ewelina Hańska, the widow of Honoré [de Balzac], as his mistress.
He died in Paris in 1894, having bequeathed more than 3000 drawings and 460 paintings to the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Besançon, making him one of their four principal donors. A monument has been erected at his tomb in the Champs-Bruley cemetery in Besançon.
A retrospective exhibit of his work was held at the Musée des beaux-arts de Rouen in 2007–2008. His works may also be seen at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen, the Musée des beaux-arts de Chambéry, Musée Magnin and the Louvre.