Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category


Gustave Caillebotte: The Painter’s Eye

June 28 – October 4, 2015

West Building Main Floor,

National Gallery of Art

Other Venues: 

Kimbell Art Museum, 

Fort Worth, Texas

November 8, 2015 – February 14, 2016

Overview: Caillebotte (1848–1894) was among the most critically noted impressionist artists during the height of their activity in the late 1870s and early 1880s. Some 45 paintings from 1875 to 1882—the period in which Caillebotte was fully engaged with the impressionist movement—will provide a focused understanding of the provocative character and complexity of his artistic contributions, from spectacular images of the new public spaces designed by Baron Haussmann to visual meditations on leisure-time activities in and around Paris.

Organization: Organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth

Sponsors: The Exhibition is made possible through the leadership support of the Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Family Foundation.

The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation also provided generous support.

Additional funding is kindly given by Count and Countess de La Haye St. Hilaire.

The Exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/exhibitions/2015/gustave-caillebotte.html

Read Full Post »


20131027-124350.jpg

PARIS – Artcurial is privileged to present for auction a major Impressionist icon, Le Pont de l’Europe dated 1876 by Gustave Caillebotte (1848-1894). Coming from a French private collection, the work is entering the market for the first time in 60 years. With an estimated value between 3 and 4 Million euros, the painting will be presented during the sale of Impressionist and Modern Art on December 2, 2013.

“Given its quality, rarity, and size, the availability on the market of such a major work by Gustave Caillebotte represents a major event for collectors and institutions,” emphasizes Olivier Berman, director of the Impressionist Art department at Artcurial.

This magnificent painting by Gustave Caillebotte, a true genius of image, is one of the versions of his famous composition Le Pont de l’Europe from 1876, currently held by the Musée du Petit Palais in Geneva.

The sale is also an integral part of current events since an important retrospective of Gustave Caillebotte at the Bridgestone Museum in Tokyo will open on October 10, 2013. Between March, 2011 and January, 2012, a major exhibit dedicated to the Caillebotte brothers was organized by the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris, and later at the Musée National des Beaux-Arts in Québec.

— Viewing at Arader Gallery New York
Arader Gallery, 29th East 72nd street, 10021 NY
From November 2 to 6.

— Viewing at Artcurial Bruxelles
5, avenue Franklin Roosevelt, B-1050 Bruxelles
From November 14 to 18.

— Viewing at Artcurial Paris
7, rond-point des Champs-Elysées, F-75008 Paris
From November 29 to December 2.

Read Full Post »


On 18 Dec 1819, Jules Pinson de Valpinçon, the 1st cousin and namesake of my great-grandfather Jules de Launay, married Adrienne Biennais at Église Saint Roch in Paris. Adrienne’s father, Martin Guillaume Biennais, created the 1804 crown jewels for Napoleon Bonaparte which are now on display at the Louvre.

Both of these Jules were 2nd cousins of the father of the French Impressionist artist, Gustave Caillebotte. In 1860, Gustave’s father, Martial Caillebotte, purchased property at Yerres for 134,000 francs plus about 9,000 in fees, from the Biennais Estate. This property is where Gustave did many of his paintings. So it was quite literally a sale between cousins.

Adrienne Adelaide Biennais – Madame Jules Valpincon. Grave is locate near the Caillebotte tomb in Pere Lachaise cemetery.

Source: http://www.MyFamilyJules.com.

Read Full Post »


Gaston de Launay (ca. 1904-1906), when he was a Canadian Husser

My grandfather, Paul de Launay, who was born in Paris on 19 Oct 1878, married his first wife, Florence Grace Hensley (born 12 Nov 1866), 12 years his elder in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Paul was 24 years old.  His new bride was 36, a “cougar” by modern standards.

One night last year, as I was boarding a flight to Paris, I met a woman with the same uncommon last name as the one I was researching – “Hensley”, that of my step-grandmother, and then sat on a plane next to a Frenchman who gave me info on how to research my grand uncle Gaston de Launay’s French military record, even volunteering to check on the existence of the records himself.

So, as I checked in at the gate that night, I happened to notice that the agent’s last name was “Hensley”, which was coincidental since I was presently researching that same name, so it happened to be very fresh on my mind.

Married to my grandfather, Paul de Launay, on 20 June 1903 at the Bruton Episcopal Church in Williamsburg, Virginia,  Florence Grace Hensley died suddenly on 3 Jan 1907 due to breast cancer.  My grandfather, for some reason, kept this marriage to her a secret as best he could, and would always refer to her, as “My dear Aunt Flo”.

My grandmother, born Mabel Ray Beasley, was Paul’s third wife, and never learn of Paul’s marriage to Flo until after Paul’s death in 1951.  It became her obsession, and later mine, to learn as much about her as possible, and why Paul grieved for Flo for so long.  Though we’ve found many answers, we still have not found a photo of her.  It doesn’t look good, but I will continue to hold out hope that one day we’ll get to see the face that Paul loved so many years ago.

Steam Ship Haverford

SS Haverford

On the 1901 English Census in the Saint Lawrence Parish of Jersey Channel Island, I had found Florence Grace Hensley living with her brother Philip.  On 19 Nov 1902, Florence boarded the SS (for Steam Ship) Haverford, then an American Line in Liverpool, with her 49 year old sister, Emily Marianne Hensley, their 10-year old nephew Charles E. Bishop, and another unknown boy, Lionel W. Roberts.  Emily answered ‘yes’ to having been in the United States before.  Florence’s answer is unreadable regarding this.  All four stated there destination was to their sister and brother-in-law, Alice Mary (Hensley) and husband Charles Edward Bishop in Sandybrook, Williamsburg, Virginia.  The Haverford arrived in Philadelphia on 1 December 1902.

Finding this and other definitive clues, we connected with the descendants of Flo’s sisters, and other English cousins in the U.K., so there’s a slight feeling of connection to her.  Paul de Launay painted a nude, red-haired woman facing away from the artist.  Although there is no proof, as yet, we think this may have been Paul’s Flo.  There are other unnamed female Hensley faces in a photo album that Paul kept until his death.  It’s possible that her’s in among them.

During my conversation with the gate agent, I had asked her if she knew if she had any English relatives several generations back.  She indicated she did, and that they had settled in the Virginia area.  This was the same area I was looking for other Hensley’s.  She told me that the name was rather uncommon here in the States.  So I took her email with a promise to follow up, and I’ll do the same on this story, as new information is discovered.

Until then, I will continue to look for the face of Florence Grace (nee Hensley) de Launay, my Late step-grandmother.

Read Full Post »


For those of you that remember that today is Pearl Harbor Day, I’ll give you another reason to remember something else that happened on this day in history.

Today, December 7th, in 1813, our ancestor, Professor Jules Gabriel Gaston Zoé de Launay was born to his parents, Jacques de Launay and Marie PINSON de Valpinçon. They resided at what is now No. 8, rue des Francs-Boureois, Paris, along a street that divides the 3rd and 4th Arondissements. Jacques parents lived just around the corner on rue du Foin, and this is were Jules’ uncle Jean de Launay died on 23 Dec 1816. I have begun to create a map on Google that will show you all of the family related places in Paris.

These three locations are the first. You can find the map here: http://g.co/maps/fkwr4, this way, if anyone ever goes to Paris and wants to do the family tour, you will have it all mapped out for you.

Eventually I’ll create a legend that will go with each location that will give more details than the limited space I’m given on Google maps. The map will take many months to create, as I do a little of it in between other research. I’ll add also photos that I’ve taken as I go along, in addition to the ones you may find on Google.

Read Full Post »


I wrote a Post yesterday, explaining how Gustave Caillebotte and Edgar Degas really knew each other, on the Facebook page of the Degas House, Courtyard & Inn, and Edgar Degas Foundation of New Orleans, and so I thought that I should share it here.  Caillebotte and Degas met because of one man, Paul Valpinçon.  You see, Paul Valpinçon was Degas’ lifelong and dear friend, but he was also the cousin of Gustave Caillebotte, a fact which the families have not shared with the art world until now.  I’ve added a little further explanation along with appropriate photos or documents.

————————–

Paul Valpinçon was born 29 Oct 1834 in Paris, though the family was originally from Normandy. The Degas painting “Madame Valpinçon” (1865) is of Paul’s wife Marguerite Claire (born Brinquant) Valpinçon. Edgar’s painting of their daughter, Hortense, is in the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts. Hortense and her younger brother, Henri (also painted by Degas), both died without children.

My 2nd great grand-uncle (Paul Valpinçon’s grandfather) René Valpinçon, bought the Menil-Hubert Chateau in Normandy in 1822.  This chateau was where Degas (formerly “de Gas”, which is how he still spelled his name, as late as 1891) did many of his paintings, including those of some of my Valpinçon cousins.

1891 - Shows Degas registered as "de Gas"

Paul Valpinçon is a third cousin of Gustave Caillebotte, and through whom Degas met Gustave, as well as neo-classical artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Ingres’ 1808 painting, “Valpinçon Bather” was named after Paul’s family, who owned it (a gift from Ingres) prior to it going to the Louvre in 1879, where it now resides.

Gustave Caillebotte  is a 3rd Cousins of my grandfather, Paul de Launay, while Paul Valpinçon. is a 2nd.  Paul de Launay was born 19 Oct 1878 in Paris and nearly adopted in 1892, along with his brother Gaston (1881-1836), by Gustave’s older brother Alfred (1834-1896), a Catholic priest, when the boys’ father, Professor Jules de Launay D.D., died on 24 March 1892 and left his wife and two boys destitute.  In addition to studying under Jean-Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant at Académie Julian, Paul de Launay studied under one Gustave’s teachers, Léon Bonnat, at Musée du Luxembourg.

1899 "Victor Hugo Mort, after Bonnat", by Paul de Launay,

Jules de Launay was a 1st cousin to the father of Paul Valpinçon and a 2nd cousin to the father of Gustave Caillebotte. Those fathers names were Louis Augustin Edouard de Valpinçon (born 1807) and Martial Caillebotte (1799-1874) respectively. Jules de Launay also had become a Catholic priest in 1834 and served at the Vatican under Pope Gregory XVI from 1834 until he left the priesthood in 1839. Jules, rather famous later during his life, immigrated to the U.S. in 1841, but later returned to Paris in December 1877 as the first American Protestant missionary to France.

Since both he and his father were born in Paris, my grandfather, Paul de Launay (1878-1951), came to the U.S. as both a Frenchman and the son of an American.  My great-grandfather Jules de Launay (1813-1892) was in New Orleans in the 1840’s. His first wife was Anna Eliza Goodale (b. about 1826), daughter of Nathan Goodale (1792-1872).

Degas remained a close friend of Paul Valpinçon’s daughter, Hortense, and her husband Jacques Fourchy, until Degas’ death.

In 1900, Degas, with Hortense and her husband, Jacques Fourchy at the Valpinçon chateau at Menil-Hubert, Normandy.

Although Paul Valinçon’s line stopped with his children, and Gustave Caillebotte never had any children, the descendants and cousins of these Valpinçon, Caillebotte, and de Launay families  still get together over 100 years later.

Read Full Post »


Need to scan 700 pages of text from family books.  Recommendations? Reply at http://www.myfamilyjules.com/2011/03/09/need-osr-advice/

Read Full Post »


I hesitate to use “Newly Found Ancestors” as a title for today’s article, since just about every day it would likely seem appropriate, but since I found a mother lode of information today, it seems especially so.

I started out looking for more info on Paul, Jules, and Gaston de Launay on Ancestry.com.  Then I switched to just looking for anything with the Valpinçon name.  That’s when I found a lot of information in the French National Archives of Paris, online through Ancestry.com.

One of the first things I found was the birth record of August Boissière, who was the son of Anne (Valpinçon) Boissière.  Anne (born 4 Sep 1771) was the daughter of Gabriel Hippolyte Pinson de Valpinçon (died 1830) and his wife Anne Julie Féron (1745-1831).

9 Dec 1813 baptism record of Jules de Launay

Anne (Valpinçon) Boissière was the godmother of Jules de Launay, according to the baptismal record of 9 Dec 1813, at the Saint-Denis du Saint Sacrement Catholic Church located at Number 68, Rue de Turenne, in Paris.  Jules de Launay’s first cousin, Jules Valpinçon, was listed as his godfather, as well as being his namesake.  Pastor Paul Quinson was kind enough to stay open long enough for me to get a photo of the baptism record.  A low resolution photo of it appears to the right.

I also found evidence of the date of birth of Paul Valpinçon and his son, Henri.  Both were born in Paris.  I found the marriage date of Paul Valpinçon and Marguerite – in Paris.  I found the date of marriage of Hortense Valpinçon and Antoine Jacques Fourchy – in Paris.  In this marriage record between Hortense and Jacques, I also found the names of Antoine Jacques Fourchy’s parents:  Paul Fourchy and Marie Mathilde Chapellier married 25 August 1858.  That first led me to the names of Paul’s maternal grandparents, Louis Edmond Chapellier and Marie Trudon, and finally his paternal grandparents, Antoine Jules Fourchy and his wife Anne Céline Pincon de Valpincon.

Wait a minute, Anne Céline Pinçon de Valpinçon?  Yes, more Valpinçon family as we go up the Family Tree.  This makes the tree a bit more vertical.  However, when I got to Anne, I also found the Family Tree of the Marguerite Family on Ancestry.com.  It is an extensive tree, but with very few records attached to it online.  Much of it appears accurate at first look.  It appears that they know about Paul de Launay and Olive, but not Mabel.  They don’t seem know about the Carr Family, but do have three “Living de Launay” under Paul & Olive, and so it’s difficult to tell what they know for sure.  They also do not seem to know about the Caillebotte descendants, but know about the Clouet side.  They do not have the Valpinçon descendants of Jean-Baptist, which leads to cousins Philippe, Michel, Elizabeth, & Monique, but does know about the ones of Augustin Renè de Valpinçon (which leads to Paul and Hortense Valpinçon).

I have sent a message to our “Marguerite” Family cousins in the hopes of a response.  Updates to come when they are available.

———————

En français:

J’hésite à utiliser “Nouveaux ancêtres ont trouvé” un titre pour l’article d’aujourd’hui, depuis à peu près chaque jour, il serait probablement semblent appropriées, mais depuis que j’ai découvert un filon de l’information aujourd’hui, il semble particulièrement.

J’ai commencé à la recherche de plus d’infos sur Paul, Jules et Gaston de Launay sur Ancestry.com. Puis je suis passé à un peu à la recherche de quelque chose avec le nom de Valpinçon. C’est alors que j’ai trouvé beaucoup d’informations dans les Archives françaises du National de Paris, en ligne grâce à Ancestry.com.

Une des premières choses que j’ai trouvé était l’acte de naissance d’Auguste Boissière, qui était le fils d’Anne (Valpinçon) Boissière. Anne (née le 4 septembre 1771) était la fille de Gabriel Hippolyte Pinson de Valpinçon (mort en 1830) et son épouse Anne Julie Féron (1745-1831).

Anne (Valpinçon) Boissière a été la marraine de Jules de Launay, selon l’acte de baptême du 9 décembre 1813, à la Saint-Denis du Saint Sacrement Église catholique située au numéro 68, rue de Turenne, à Paris. cousin germain de Jules de Launay, Jules Valpinçon, a été répertorié comme son parrain, en plus d’être son homonyme. Pasteur Paul Quinson de Sainte-Denis a eu la gentillesse de rester ouvert assez longtemps pour moi d’obtenir une photo de l’acte de baptême. Une photo en basse résolution de celui-ci apparaît à droite.

J’ai aussi trouvé des preuves de la date de naissance de Paul Valpinçon et son fils, Henri. Tous deux sont nés à Paris. J’ai trouvé la date du mariage de Paul Valpinçon et Marguerite – à Paris. J’ai trouvé la date du mariage d’Hortense Valpinçon et Antoine Jacques Fourchy – à Paris. Dans ce dossier mariage entre Hortense et Jacques, j’ai également trouvé les noms des parents Antoine Jacques Fourchy: Paul et Marie Mathilde Fourchy Chapellier mariés le 25 août 1858. Cela m’a d’abord conduit à les noms des grands-parents maternels de Paul, Louis Edmond Chapellier et Marie Trudon, et enfin ses grands-parents paternels, Jules Antoine Fourchy et son épouse Anne Céline Pincon de Valpinçon.

Attendez une minute, Anne Céline Pinçon de Valpinçon? Oui, plus de famille Valpinçon que l’on monte l’arbre généalogique. Cela rend l’arbre un peu plus vertical.Cependant, quand je suis arrivé à Anne, j’ai aussi trouvé l’arbre généalogique de la famille Marguerite sur Ancestry.com. Il s’agit d’un massif d’arbres, mais avec très peu d’enregistrements qui s’y rattachent en ligne. Une grande partie de celui-ci semble exacte au premier coup d’oeil. Il semble qu’ils savent à propos de Paul de Launay et Olive, mais pas Mabel. Ils ne semblent pas connaître la famille Carr, mais avons trois «Vivre de Launay» en vertu de Paul & Olive, et il est donc difficile de dire ce qu’ils savent à coup sûr. Ils ne semblent pas connaître les descendants Caillebotte, mais savoir sur le côté Clouet. Ils n’ont pas les descendants de Valpinçon Jean-Baptiste, qui conduit à des cousins Philippe, Michel, Elizabeth, et Monique, mais ne savent sur ceux d’Augustin René Valpinçon de (ce qui conduit à Paul et Hortense Valpinçon).

J’ai envoyé un message à nos “Marguerite” cousins de la famille dans l’espoir d’une réponse. Mises à jour à venir, quand elles sont disponibles.

Read Full Post »


6 Feb 2011 – on my break during my flight to Athens.

Fourchy Cousin.

On Appendix page A64 in Volume 3 of my uncle Julot’s “Jules and Paul de Launay” (pub.  1985), he reprinted page 268 of The Christian Standard dated 18 September 1880 in which Jules Delaunay (born 1813) wrote “Among these, my honored cousin, Monsieur de Fourchy, Advocat General of Paris, who, on the 2nd of July last, and followed by 123 other magistrates, tendered their resignations so that they could not be forced to enforce the decree against their consciences.”

What I find important in this passage entitled “Notes from Paris” is Jules mention of his cousin “Fourchy”.  In 1849, there is also an “Antoine Jules Fourchy” listed as a witness attending the marriage of “Benoit Jacques Polinice Pinçon de Valpinçon” on Appendix A76 in Vol. 1 of the same series.  His occupation was listed as “notary”, and may be the same “cousin” Fourchy whom Jules refers to in September 1880.  The only other Fourchy I have found in our tree thus far is Jacques Fourchy (no dates), the husband of Hortense Valpinçon (died 1946).  She is the same Hortense painted by Edgar Degas in 1869-1870 as a young girl.  I cannot determine who the Fourchy cousin is for certain, or how he might be related.  I suspect he is the husband of a Valpinçon daughter, and hope that my cousin Philippe Valpinçon in Normandy may lead me in the right direction, if I am unable to find a historical record of the names of the Advocats General of Paris.

{footnote: Benoit Jacques Polinice Valpinçon is the son of Jacques Valpinçon, grandson of Ann Julie Féron, and great-grandson of Thomas Féron, and so would have been the 2nd cousin to Jules Delaunay, who would have been in the U.S. by this time.}

——————-

En français.

6 février 2011 – sur ma pause lors de mon vol pour Athènes.

Fourchy Cousin.

Sur la page Annexe A64 dans le volume 3 de mon oncle Julot de “Jules et Paul de Launay» (éd. 1985), il reproduit la page 268 du Christian Standard daté du 18 Septembre  1880 dans laquelle Jules Delaunay (né en 1813) écrit: «Parmi ces choses, mon cousin honneur, M. de Fourchy, Advocat général de Paris, qui, le 2 Juillet dernier, et suivie par 123 autres magistrats, ont présenté leur démission afin qu’ils ne pouvaient pas être contraints d’appliquer le décret contre leur conscience.

Ce que je trouve important dans ce passage intitulé «Notes de Paris” est Jules mention de son cousin “Fourchy”. En 1849, il ya aussi une “Antoine Jules Fourchy” répertorié comme un témoin comparaissant le mariage de “Benoit Jacques Polinice Pinçon Valpinçon de” l’Annexe A76 dans le vol. 1 de la même série. Son occupation a été répertorié comme «notaire», et peut être le même “cousin” Fourchy qui se réfère à Jules en Septembre 1880. Le seul autre Fourchy J’ai trouvé dans notre arbre est à ce jour Jacques Fourchy (aucune date), le mari d’Hortense Valpinçon (mort en 1946). Elle est la même Hortense peint par Edgar Degas en 1869-1870 comme une jeune fille. Je ne peux pas déterminer qui est le cousin Fourchy est pour certains, ou comment il pourrait être lié. Je pense qu’il est le mari d’une fille Valpinçon, et j’espère que mon cousin Philippe Valpinçon en Normandie peut me conduire dans la bonne direction, si je suis incapable de trouver un historique des noms de l’Assemblée générale Advocats de Paris.

{Note: Benoit Jacques Polinice Valpinçon est le fils de Jacques Valpinçon, petit-fils de Ann Julie Féron, et petit-fils de Thomas Féron, et aurait donc été le cousin du 2 au Jules Delaunay, qui aurait été aux États-Unis à cette époque .}

——————-

Caillebotte Descendants

I have been corresponding with someone named “Mio” from Japan who is apparently a fan of my cousin Gustave Caillebotte and operates the web site:  http://www.Caillebotte.net.  I found an unusually accurate genealogy there.  I say unusually, because from my own research, I have not found anyone other that this to have such information that generally only families are privy too.  After some back-and-forth emails over the past several months, I finally got the source of the information:  Jean Pierre Toussaint.

Mio wrote, “He is not a cousin though he has a passion for Caillebotte.  He lives in Yerres and works for the Caillebotte Park there.”  Mio said that he may have gotten the tree information from someone else who works there or from a French book called “Dessins et Pastels” which Jean Pierre said he had.  I wrote Jean Pierre today and hope to hear back from him soon.

——————

En français.

Descendants Caillebotte

J’ai correspondu avec quelqu’un du nom de «Mio» en provenance du Japon qui est apparemment un fan de Gustave Caillebotte et exploite le site Web: Caillebotte.net. J’ai trouvé une généalogie inhabituellement précises là-bas. Je dis exceptionnellement, parce que de mes propres recherches, je n’ai pas trouvé quelqu’un d’autre que ce à disposer de ces informations que les familles en général seulement sont au courant aussi. Après quelques emails de va-et-vient au cours des derniers mois, j’ai finalement obtenu la source de l’information: Jean Pierre Toussaint.

Mio a écrit, “Il n’est pas un cousin mais il a une passion pour Caillebotte. Il vit et travaille à Yerres pour le parc Caillebotte là-bas. “Mio dit qu’il peut avoir obtenu l’information sur les arbres d’une autre personne qui y travaille ou d’un livre français intitulé « Dessins et Pastels “que Jean Pierre a dit qu’il avait. J’ai écrit Jean Pierre aujourd’hui et j’espère avoir des nouvelles de lui bientôt.

Read Full Post »