James Tissot was a French painter who studied art in Paris. After France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, he moved to London to earn money quickly by painting highly finished scenes of London society and social events, which were instantly popular. While criticized as being like photographs, they showed his technical skill and Gallic sophistication. He also painted atmospheric scenes along the Thames river. In 1882, Tissot moved back to Paris and initially continued painting society scenes, but later devoted himself to religious paintings, visiting the Middle East twice for backgrounds.

1. JAMES TISSOT - PAINTER

2. Young Lady in a Boat

3. Hide and Seek

4. The Gallery of HMS Calcutta

5. Lilacs

6. The Garden Bench

7. Mavourneen

8. The Return of the Prodigal Son

9. London Visitors

10. A Convalescent

11. Going the Business

12. The Ball on Shipboard

13. Jesus At Bethany

14. A Luncheon

15. The Political Lady

16. The Concert

17. The Artists Ladies

18. Too Early

19. The Woman of Fashion

20. The Ball On the Thames

21. Portsmouth Dockyard

22. Seaside

23. The Fated Calf

24. In the Sunshine

25. October

26. The Captain Daughter

27. The Confidence at the Admision

28. In the Conservatory

29. July

30. The Fan

31. A Fete Day at Brighton

32. Captain Frederick Gustav Burnady

33. Young Women Looking at Japanese

34. Waiting for the Ferry

35. Young Women Looking at Japanese

36. A Little Nimrod

37. Croquet

38. The Picnic

39. Orphan

40. The Thames

41. In an English Garden

42. Bad News

43. A Passing Storm

44. In the Greenhouse

45. The Annunciation

46. Two Sisters

47. Spring

48. Chrysanthemums

49. Quiet

50. James Tissot was born in Nantes, France. He studied art at Beaux-Arts in Paris and following the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, Tissot decided to move to London. This move must have caused problems in his life, and the painter needed to earn some money quickly. Tissot started to paint accomplished highly finished paintings of London society and social events. These paintings were an instant success with the art viewing and buying public, but not with the critics. His main criticisms of the time were that the paintings were really only painted photographs. There is some truth in this, though the paintings show dazzling technique, and a dash of Gallic wit and sophistication, the home grown English artists were quite unable to match. An attraction for Tissot was also the Port of London, and the river Thames. His paintings with the river as the background have an evocative atmosphere. One can almost smell the smoke, and hear the shouts of the dockers and watermen. In 1882 Tissot moved back to Paris. Initially Tissot carried on painting society and genre pictures in Paris, but soon gave this up, devoting the rest of his life to painting religious scenes. He visited the Middle- East twice to find genuine backgrounds for his religious paintings. James Tissot Paintings 1836 to 1902