Alphonse Monchablon

Xavier-Alphonse Monchablon (12 June 1835, in Avillers – 30 January 1907, in Paris) was a French history and portrait painter in the Academic style. He was distantly related to the more popular painter, Jan Monchablon.

Biography

His father was a teacher and amateur artist, who gave him some of his first lessons. He was also apprenticed to a lithographer in Mirecourt. In 1856, he enrolled at the École des Beaux-arts, where he studied with Sébastien-Melchior Cornu and Charles Gleyre. He achieved second-place in the Prix de Rome in 1862 and, the following year, tied for first-place with his painting of Joseph being recognized by his brothers. This was done in response to the German annexation of most of Alsace-Lorraine in 1871.

Among his best-known portraits are those of Prime Minister Louis Buffet, the explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza and the sculptor Ernest-Eugène Hiolle. He is also known for a widely distributed engraving of Victor Hugo.

He became a Knight of the Légion d'Honneur in 1897. His son, , won the Prix de Rome for painting in 1903. His sister was married to the painter William Bouguereau. His daughter, Gabrielle, married the flautist Louis Fleury and was a moderately successful concert pianist.