About Lucien Simon
Lived 1861 – 1945 (aged 84). Lucien Simon was a French painter, lithographer, teacher, draftsperson, illustrator and watercolorist.
Lucien Joseph Simon (1861 – 1945) was a French painter and teacher born in Paris.
Early life and education Simon was born in Paris. After graduating from the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, he studied painting at the studio of Jules Didier, then from 1880 to 1883 at l’Académie Julian.
Career He exhibited at the Salon des Artistes Francais from 1891, and at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts.
In 1891, he married the painter Jeanne Dauchez, the sister of André Dauchez (1870–1948), and became infatuated with the scenery and peasant life of her native Brittany.
In 1895, he met Charles Cottet and became a member of his Bande noire or "Nubians", along with Dauchez, René-Xavier Prinet, Edmond Aman-Jean and Émile-René Ménard, employing the principles of Impressionism but in darker tones.
He was one of the founding teachers at Martha Stettler and Alice Dannenberg's Académie de la Grande Chaumière in 1902. He also taught at the Académie Colarossi around the same time, as well as taking private students.
He taught at École Nationale des Beaux-Arts from 1923 and elected to its Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1929, a position he held for 13 years.
In 1937 he won First Prize at "l’Exposition universelle de Paris" for his work on the Luxembourg pavilion.
(1892–1979), the son of Lucien and Jeanne (who was also a painter), was a noted animal sculptor.
A portrait of Lucien Simon, painted by Charles Cottet in 1907, hangs in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
He died in 1945 in Combrit. In 2002 there was an exhibition at the Galerie Philippe Heim in Paris devoted to the work of Paul, Lucien and Jeanne Simon.
Selected paintings
Notable students
Frank Armington
Manuel Azadigian Patrick Bakker Yves Brayer A.M. Cassandre Grace Evelyn Chapman William H. Clapp Alice Dannenberg Bessie Davidson Lucille Douglass Jean Dries Lucien Fontanarosa Victor Higgins
Edwin Holgate Yvonne Housser Robert Humblot (1907-1962) Henri Jannot (1909-2004) Friederike Koch-Langentreu (1866-1941) Lul Krag Bernard Lamotte Lowes Dalbiac Luard Florence Helena McGillivray Kay Nielsen Børge Christoffer Nyrop (1881-1948) Pan Yuliang Ambrose McCarthy Patterson Alfred Pellan Elenore Plaisted Abbott Elena Popea Steffi Reiner-Gartenberg (1885-1969) Mary Rogers
Amrita Sher-Gil
Boris Smirnoff Martha Stettler Dorothy Stevens Helena Sturtevant (1872-1946) Mary Swanzy Sydney Thompson Marie Tuck Anna Milo Upjohn Martha Walter John Weygandt (1869-1951)
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Lucien Simon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Lucien Simon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Lucien Simon?
French painter (1861-1945)
When was Lucien Simon born?
Lucien Simon was born on 18 July 1861 in Paris.
When did Lucien Simon die?
Lucien Simon died on 13 October 1945 in Combrit.
What was Lucien Simon's occupation?
Lucien Simon was a painter, lithographer, teacher, draftsperson, illustrator and watercolorist.
What nationality was Lucien Simon?
Lucien Simon was French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Lucien Simon. https://biography.guide/lucien-simon/
MLA: "Lucien Simon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/lucien-simon/.
Chicago: "Lucien Simon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/lucien-simon/.
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