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City made a big impression
by Paul R Taylor14/12/2006
HIS paintings captured Manchester in its industrial golden age
as the city which suffocated on its own success.
Artist Adolphe Valette introduced the impressionist style to
Manchester in the early 20th century, capturing in subtle hues its
streets, squares, waterways and factories shrouded in fog and
smog.
He tutored LS Lowry for more than a decade at the Manchester
Municipal School of Art and his cityscapes have influenced
countless artists, including rising star of the British art scene
Liam Spencer.
But in his native France and the wider art world, little is known
of Valette and his atmospheric paintings have not received the
critical acclaim or recognition they perhaps deserve.
Biographer Cécilia Lyon fell in love with his work in April 2002
during a visit to Manchester Art Gallery, where several of his
paintings are on permanent display.
She devoted four years to chronicling his life and work, spending
months in France poring over records, interviewing people he knew,
conducting a challenging search for his tomb and even finding some
of his forgotten paintings.
Her research has now been published as the first complete reference
work on the artist, with more than 120 beautiful illustrations,
which she hopes will lead to more recognition for Valette.
"It became a passion and, like all passions, somewhat irrational at
times," said Cécilia, a Belgian writer who lives in
Macclesfield.
"I had not heard of Valette before I walked into Manchester Art
Gallery but when I saw his painting of Albert Square, in between
Hansom Cab At All Saints and Old Cab At All Saints, I fell in
love.
"It is something difficult to explain, because it is the first time
it has happened to me in my life. It wasn't expected but I just
wanted to know more and more about him."
Born in France in 1876 in Saint-Etienne, Valette trained in Lyon
and then in Bordeaux at the prestigious academy the École
Municipale des Beaux-Arts. Pierre Paris, the academy's director,
recommended him for the Poirson Scholarship in 1903, which would
have allowed him to travel to Japan and the Far East to study the
influence of Japanese arts and prints on impressionism.
But his application was eventually turned down as he was working
part time as an engraver and professional draughtsman and so did
not qualify. Cécilia believes this may be why he chose to emigrate
to Manchester.
"It is conjecture but he must have been very disappointed not to
receive the scholarship on a technicality.
"Manchester was a very dynamic place and, of course, other
impressionists such as Monet and Camille Pissarro had been to
England to study the light, weather and pollution.
"Valette followed in their footsteps. His Mancunian canvases
reflect the atmosphere of smoke, fog and pollution but also the
industrial and economic dynamism of the city and its inhabitants.
The city has the same type of buzz now.
"The smog was an inspiration. Monet ultimately grew to hate Sundays
in London in that the reduction or cessation of industrial activity
diminished the effects of pollution. He wrote to his wife
complaining about Sundays. His letter is quoted in my book."
Valette's canvases of the Manchester Ship Canal are reminiscent of
Monet's series of the Thames in London and Cécilia believes his
1908 oil painting of the docks was one of the first to chronicle
the city's industrial peak.
Other works show the River Irwell, Oxford Road, Bailey Bridge, the
town hall from Mount Street and Minshull Street with the Old
Magistrates' Court in the Distance, as well as various churchyards
and suburbs.
They were appreciated by critics of the time and exhibited on many
occasions. Reviewing an exhibition of his work by the Society of
Modern Artists, one wrote: "If any citizen desires to realise
really beautiful parts of Manchester may appear under certain
lights he should inspect the canvases of Adolphe Valette."
The artist, also an accomplished portraitist, lived in Manchester
from 1905 until 1928, teaching at the school of art, marrying and
becoming a father. He returned to France after the death of his
mother and retired in the Beaujolais region. His painting there
reflected his more relaxed attitude and environment. He died in
1942.
"It took three years to track down Valette's tomb," said
Cécilia.
"On one of the first trips, I visited the cemetery of
Villefranche-sur-Saône and spoke to the warden mentioning the year
of death, 1942, but nothing could be found.
"Passions can make you do unusual things - I visited all the small
churchyards in the surrounding Beaujolais looking tomb by tomb for
the one of Valette.
"I still couldn't find it but soon learned that he had been buried
first in Lyon, in a cemetery close to the hospital where he died
from a kidney disease. His remains were exhumed in 1943 and
transferred to the Valette family tomb, in the cemetery of
Villefranche-sur-Saône, in 1943.
"I spoke to the new warden, who with the new date found the tomb
within minutes but there was bad news as well.
"As there had been no signs of maintenance, the tomb was on the
list to be recovered to make space for new arrivals.
"I have since cleaned it and put flowers there to give it some
signs of presence but any Mancunian who travels to the Beaujolais
should place some flowers as well."
Published by Phillimore & Co. Ltd., Cécilia's book is
available from Manchester Art Gallery and bookshops, including
Waterstone's, priced £35.
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