Díaz de la Peña, Narcisse

PAINTER (FRANCE)
BORN 20 Aug 1807, Bordeaux, Gironde - DIED 18 Nov 1876, Menton, Alpes-Maritimes
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Cimetière de Montmartre, 20 Avenue Rachel (division 14)

Narcisse Diaz de la Peña, a painter of the Barbizon school, came from a Spanish family. After his parents died when he was ten years old he lived with a pastor in Paris. After he was bitten by a reptile he lost a leg and in later years his wooden stump was well known.

He worked as an apprentice in Arsène Gillet’s porcelain factory when he created his first oil paintings. He was probably took lessons with François Souchon (1787-1857) and copied paintings in the Louvre. He became friends with Honoré Daumier, Théodore Rousseau and Paul Huet. From 1831 to 1844 he exhibited at the Salon in Paris. He was best known for romantic paintings as well as oriental subjects.

In 1851 he became a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur. During the Franco-Prussian War he lived in Brussels. After 1871 his work became fashionable and his production was high. In 1876 he caught a cold when he was visiting the grave of his son. He went to Menton to recover his health but he died there in November.

Related persons
• was a friend of Huet, Paul

Images

The grave of Narcisse Diaz de la Pena at the Cimetière Montmartre, Paris.
Picture by Androom (20 Feb 2016)

 

Sources
Winkler Prins Encyclopedie (editie 1909), 1909
Narcisse Virgilio Díaz - Wikipedia


Dicenta, Manuel

Published: 27 Jan 2019
Last update: 06 Nov 2022