1861
March 14th: George Desvallières born in Paris.
1870
June 7th: Marguerite Lefebvre, future wife of George Desvallières, born in Paris.
1878
Desvallières studies at the Académie Julian.
Meets Gustave Moreau, introduced by Jules-Elie Delaunay.
1880
Student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.
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Ernest Legouvé and Gustave Moreau
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1883
Salon des artistes français [SAF]: Portrait de Mlle D., noticed by Puvis de Chavannes.
1884
Member of the SAF.
1885-1886
Travels in Italy.
1890
February 6th: Desvallières marries Marguerite Lefebvre (1870-1955): Jules-Elie Delaunay and Gustave Moreau are witnesses.
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Photograph by Nadar
George Desvallières
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Photograph by Nadar
Marguerite Desvallières
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1893
Medal of the SAF.
1894
Medal of the SAF.
1895
Member (ex-selection) of the SAF.
July 15th-August 18th: travels in Italy.
1898
April 18th: death of Gustave Moreau. George Desvallières, together with Louis Chabrier named executor in his will.
Beginning of correspondence between Georges Rouault and George
Desvallières.
1899
May 12th-July 5th: travels in Sicily and Naples.
Desvallières' family in 1900 in Seine-Port
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1900
April 14th: World Exhibition: awarded silver medal.
April 15th-April 24th: travels in Portugal and Morocco.
Every summer, since their wedding the Desvallières’ family get together in Seine-Port (Seine-et-Marne).
1901
The Helsinki Ateneum Art Museum purchases Sainte Marie,
rose mystique.
April 22nd: resigns from the SAF, and joins a more liberal salon, the Salon National des Beaux-Arts [SNBA], where he exhibits regularly every year.
July 12th: produces Aeternum
Transvertere purchased by the French State.
1902
February 28th: Gustave Moreau’s house in Paris becomes a national museum by decree.
March 22nd: exhibition in Budapest.
August 7th: at the Gustave-Moreau Museum, the director Henri Rupp thanks Desvallières for his excellent advice in the organisation and placing of the pictures.
Top of the page
1903
March 14th: death of Ernest Legouvé (Desvallières’ grandfather).
March 25th: exhibition in Munich.
April 16th: member of the SNBA.
June-July: journey to London. Sketches in music-halls, bars and theatres:
“Femmes de Londres”, and of the Moulin Rouge, in the spirit of Baudelaire’s Fleurs du mal.
Summer 1903: meetings with various artists leading to the creation of the Salon d’Automne. President Frantz Jourdain chooses Desvallières as vice-president of the painting section.
October 16th: Kunsthandlung in Düsseldorf.
October 31st-December 6th: first Salon d’Automne, in the Petit-Palais des Champs-Elysées (Paris).
Choses vues (souvenirs de Londres).
1904
Religious conversion in the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Victoires (Paris).
April 21st: in Léon Bloy’s Diary: “We have finally laid hands on two painters that we had already met, Georges Rouault and George Desvallières, both extraordinary, the former poisons himself, and the latter eats too much.” (BLOY Léon: L’Invendable, 1904-1907, Paris: Le Mercure de France, 1904).
October 13th: inauguration of the second Salon d’Automne, Grand-Palais (Paris). Desvallières in charge of placing the pictures.
1905
December 5th 1904-January 10th: exhibition at Charles Rivaud’s Gallery (jewelry and paintings): Desvallières meets Jacques Rouché, who purchases Joueurs de balles and becomes his sponsor.
March 24th-April 30th: Salon des Indépendants.
October 18th-November 25th: third Salon d’Automne: Charles Plumet in charge of placing the pictures, assisted by Desvallières, Guérin,
Piot and Baignières, all former pupils of Gustave Moreau. Room VII reserved for “Fauve paintings”.
Desvallières secures the creation of a section for music. He exhibits four paintings.
October 19th-November 26th: Exhibition of Paintings of Contemporary French Artists at the Art Institute of Chicago (U.S.A.), includes Desvallières’ A nymph.
1906
Travels in Northern Italy.
January: death of Madame Emile Desvallières, George’s mother.
March: French art exhibition in the Kunsthalle Basel.
March 20th-April 30th: Société des Artistes Indépendants: exhibits Le Sacré-Cœur
(1905).
April 3rd: enthusiastic letter from Léon Bloy about the above picture: “You have let loose a lion.”
September-October: Grand Salon Officiel des Beaux-Arts in Ghent (Belgium).
October 6th-November 15th: fourth Salon d’Automne at the Grand-Palais (Paris). Alfred de Musset’s Rolla illustrated by Desvallières, is presented by Gaston Gallimard in the context of the new Book Exhibition in the Salon d’Automne.
End-1906: Desvallières, is adviser to Dethomas and
Guérin, teachers at the La Palette studio.
1907
At Jacques Rouché request, Desvallières begins the decorative frieze for the Hôtel Rouché and becomes art critic for La Grande Revue (1907-1911).
March 2nd-April 2nd: Exhibition of French Art Strasburg-Stuttgart: Portrait de Mlle S.D.
October 1st-22nd: Salon d’Automne (*): Sabine Desvallières (George’s daughter) in charge of the decorative arts section (art-embroidery).
1908
Desvallières teaches at the La Palette studio: among his pupils are Dunoyer de Segonzac and
Luc-Albert Moreau. He finishes the decorative frieze for the Hôtel Rouché 1906-1908.
December 25th: Desvallières offers Matisse space in the columns of La Grande Revue:
« Notes d’un peintre ».
1909
January: member of the Committee for the French Art Exhibition in Montreal.
January 6th: member of the Patrons’ Committee for the Société française d’illustration.
Exhibition at the Galerie Druet, Paris, Sonneurs de trompe.
October: Internationale Kunstausstellung, Munich.
1910
Leipziger Kunstverein Exhibition in Leipzig.
May 16th: George Desvallières and Maurice Denis appointed
Chevaliers de la Légion d’Honneur
(civil list).
May 17th-28th: Exhibition at the Galerie Druet, Paris, George Desvallières: 52 works including several portraits, illustrations for Rolla and La Vigne.
End-May-beginning-June: travels in Spain.
June 10th: member of the Société de Saint Jean for the promotion of Christian art.
October 1st-November 8th: Salon d’Automne, Christ à la
colonne, La
Grèce.
Grand-Palais: Exhibition of Decorative Arts from Munich.
Richard Desvallières, his son, exhibits for the first time (art ironwork).
November: Exhibition at the Galerie Hessèle, Paris, Pupils of Gustave Moreau.
1911
February 18th: meets Jacques Maritain.
Exhibition in Rome.
September 11th: first performance of Leonid Andreieff’s Anathema at the Théâtre des Arts décors and costumes by Desvallières.
October 1st-November 8th: Salon d’Automne, Grand-Palais: Desvallières produces the poster, the invitation and the cover of the catalogue; Fauves and Cubists occupy two adjacent rooms.
November 14th-December 31st: International Exhibition of Christian Art at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (Société de Saint Jean): poster by Desvallières, Le Christ aux
midinettes. Embroideries by Sabine Desvallières and Grille de communion (Communion Rail) by Richard Desvallières.
George Desvallières gives a lecture on Christian Art at the Société Art et Science.
Décembre: publication of a book on Gustave Moreau with 60 reproductions in heliogravure
(J-E. Bulloz), preface by George Desvallières.
December: exhibition at the Fine Arts Academy, Albright Art Gallery in Buffalo (U.S.A.).
1912
January 10th, Le
Temps, “Is there a rebirth of religious art ?”, interview with George Desvallières on his project of creating a school of religious art.
April: exhibition at the International Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh (U.S.A.).
April 15th-October 31st: Decima Esposizione Internazionale
d’Arte della Città di Venezia.
April 22nd-23rd: “Dance-Concert”: Istar, by Vincent d’Indy at the Théâtre du Châtelet, décors and costumes by Desvallières.
June: publication of “A Project for a School of Art under the Protection of Notre-Dame de Paris” (Notes d’art
et d’archéologie, June 1912).
June: exhibition of modern religious art in Brussels.
July: Salon de la Triennale, Paris: Exhibition of French art.
October 1st-November 2nd: Salon d’Automne, Grand Palais: Sabine and Richard Desvallières exhibit with André Mare La
Maison cubiste.
October 5th-6th-7th: scandal in the press over the affair of the cubists at the Salon d’Automne. One of their defendants, George Desvallières, sends in his letter of resignation to Frantz Jourdain.
November: Exhibition at the Galerie Manzi et Joyant, Paris with Bonnard, Roussel and Denis.
December 3rd: debate in the Chambre des Députés puts an end to the affair of the cubists. Desvallières withdraws his resignation from the Salon d’Automne.
George Desvallières and his pupils
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1913
Exhibition in Ghent.
Exhibition in Munich.
May: Gluck’s Orphée at the Théâtre des Arts: décor and costumes for Act 1 by Desvallières.
June 9th-21st: Exhibition at the Galerie Druet, Paris: 30 paintings shown.
1914
International Exhibition in Lyon.
Beginning-August: Richard Desvallières at the front in Northern France.
At 53 years old, George Desvallières organises the 3rd Company of the 6th Battalion of the Chasseurs Alpins at
Saint-Laurent-du-Var.
End-September: Daniel Desvallières, 17 years old, joins the 4th Company of the 6th Battalion of the Chasseurs Alpins at Nice.
Daniel and George on the train
platform in Nice
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1915
January 23rd: Commandant Marsal leaves Nice to join the general staff of General Joffre. Desvallières provisionally takes over command of the sixth battalion of the Chasseurs Alpins.
January 29th: Daniel Desvallières leaves Nice with his company and goes to the front in the Vosges Mountains.
February 15th: Desvallières proceeds in the same direction.
February 17th: Desvallières arrives at Bussang.
February 18th: Father and son meet again at Saint-Amarin. Based at Rochedure near Sudel, Desvallières then remains for three years at the Hartmannswillerkopf Mountain and in neighbouring areas.
March 19th: moving up to Sudel, Daniel is killed in the attack on the Grand Reichackerkopf Mountain.
May 7th: Colonel Lanson informs Desvallières of the death of his son Daniel.
September 20th: Desvallières is promoted to permanent Battalion Commander by order of the President of the French Republic.
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1916
Desvallières changes sector several times.
May 18th: first mention in despatches of George Desvallières at Brigade Orders.
Desvallières vows to paint exclusively religious subjects from now on.
1917
After a very hard winter, Desvallières is congratulated the following summer on his invaluable contribution to the defence of the zone of which he has been in charge.
1918
February 8th: second mention in despatches of George Desvallières at Brigade Orders.
May 28th: death of General Pierre des Vallières, George’s cousin, who distinguished himself at Heurtebise on the Somme.
October 20th-November 9th: Desvallières in command of a prisoner-of-war camp for German officers at Jausiers near Barcelonette.
November 15th: death of Emile Desvallières, George’s father.
December 22nd: Desvallières demobilised.
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Commandant Desvallières in front his shelter
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1919
Foundation of the Fédération française des artistes
mobilisés.
Le Drapeau du Sacré-Cœur, cenotaph for the fallen at Verneuil-sur-Avre.
Création of the Ateliers d’Art Sacré with Maurice Denis.
Top of the page
1919-1924
Decoration of the Saint-Privat chapel on the estate of Jacques Rouché, director of the Paris Opera, a meditation on the Great War: Dieu le Père, Le Sacrifice de la guerre, Le Grand Sacrifice du Calvaire.
1922
Creation of a religious art section at the Salon d’Automne.
1923
Takes part in the foundation of the Salon des Tuileries.
Travels to the United States. Member of the jury for the International Exhibition at the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Sun Article,
March 16th 1923
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1924
April 24th-June 5th: International Art Exhibition at the Carnegie Institute of Pittsburgh:
Dieu le Père.
Salon des Tuileries n°443 Sacré-Cœur, protecteur des familles.
1925
March 15th-April 15th: exhibition at the Chicago Art Institute.
April 4th-19th: exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris: George Desvallières: 48 œuvres paintings from the decoration of the Saint-Privat chapel.
April-October: works on the church of the French village at the International Exhibition of Industrial and Modern Decorative Art. Sainte Face, now in the Modern Art Museum in the Vatican.
George and Marguerite
in Mazamet, 1927
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1926
January 6th: death of Émile Paladilhe.
March 23rd: death of Maurice Desvallières.
April: Exhibition at the Galerie Georges-Petit for the centenary of Gustave Moreau’s birth: Gustave Moreau et quelques-uns de ses élèves: Desvallières provides the preface, and exhibits 6 paintings, including Annonciation.
April 3rd: article by Desvallières in La Vie catholique: “The Development of Christian Thought in the Works of Gustave Moreau”.
April 11th: Desvallières takes vows in the Dominican Third-Order.
May 1st: opening of the Salon des Tuileries in Paris, L'Eglise douloureuse (1926).
Decorates the Saint John the Baptist Church at Pawtucket, (New England, U.S.A).
September 20th: Sabine, his daughter, enters the Poor Clares' Convent at Mazamet as a postulant (Tarn, France).
November 5th: opening of the Salon d?Automne in Paris, 4 panels for the Church of Pawtucket are exhibited, Dieu le Père, L'Ascension, Les Apôtres and O Salutaris Hostia (1926).
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1926-1927
Stained glass window cartoons for the Chapel of the Ossuary at Douaumont (France).
1927
May 7th: profession of Sabine under the name of Sister Marie de la Grâce at the Poor Clares' Convent at Mazamet.
September 18th: inaugural ceremony at the Chapel of the Ossuary at Douaumont (stained glass windows).
1928
May 14th: in order to save the Gustave Moreau-Museum, Desvallières proposes to found the “Société des amis du Musée Gustave-Moreau”.
1929
February 4th-15th: Exhibition George Desvallières at the Galerie Druet: 50 religious paintings.
1929-1931
Decorates the Church of Wittenheim in Alsace: Le Triomphe de
sainte Barbe, Les Dix Commandements, Chemin de Croix (Way of the Cross), baptistery and stained glass windows.
1930
May: elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts (Institut de France); takes the chair of his friend René Ménard.
July: becomes Curator of the Gustave-Moreau Museum, following the resignation of Georges Rouault.
Member of the painting section of the Belgian Académie des Beaux-Arts de Belgique.
October 16th-December 7th: Exhibition at the International Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh (U.S.A.).
1931
Paris Colonial Exhibition: poster of Charles de Foucauld
(Missions Pavilion): located since 1933 in the Notre-Dame des Missions Church at Epinay-sur-Seine.
Decorates the chapel in the Cité du Souvenir, (Paris, 14th Arrondissement): a new meditation on the Great War.
1932
March 17th-31st: gives the inaugural speech at the exhibition of new acquisitions at the Musée de Sculpture Comparée (Trocadéro, Paris), entitled: “From Medieval to Christian Art”.
1933
March 20th-31st: exhibition of 20 works by Desvallières at the Galerie Druet, Paris.
March 22nd: becomes member of the Academico virtuoso di
merito corrispondente in Rome: this academy promotes the study, practice and perfection of the fine arts, in particular of sacred art.
Produces a large-size panel entitled Saint Joseph et les Ecoliers
(Saint Joseph and the Schoolchildren) for the Saint-Aspais College Chapel at Fontainebleau (France).
1934
February: International Exhibition of Sacred Art in Rome. Fiftieth Anniversary Exhibition of the Société des artistes indépendants, at the Grand-Palais des
Champs-Elysées, Paris.
May: Venice Biennale: exhibits Sainte
Véronique.
Desvallières signs Jacques Maritain’s manifesto “Pour le bien commun” (for the common good) which promotes of Christian social doctrine.
November-December: Exhibition Les Fauves,
l’atelier Gustave Moreau : Desvallières shows 7 works, including Au Moulin Rouge.
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George Desvallières and Saint Véronique
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1935
February 16th: death of Sabine Desvallières (sœur Marie de la Grâce) at Mazamet.
Creation of L’Art sacré review: Desvallières member of the editorial committee.
Produces a life-size Chemin de
Croix (Way of the Cross) for the Saint Esprit Church in Paris (12th Arrondissement).
Death of Frantz Jourdain, President of the Salon d’Automne.
December 21st: Lecture on Radio Luxembourg: “Catholicism in the Modern World: Painting and Charity”.
1936
President of the Salon d’Automne.
Series of compositions on the Virgin Mary.
1937
Decorates the seminary chapel at Meaux (France).
May-November: decorates the Pontifical Pavilion at the International Exhibition (Paris): La Réconciliation.
June-October: Exhibition at the Petit-Palais Les Maîtres de l’art
indépendant: 1895-1937. Other artists include Picasso, Braque, Léger, Matisse. Room 23 shows 20 paintings by Desvallières.
1938
Takes position in favour of the new stained glass windows in Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral
(Le Figaro, December 17th).
1940
President of the Institut de France.
1942
Arras Cathedral: Nativité et Résurrection (1940-1942).
1943
President of the Société de Saint Jean.
1946-1947
Decorates the Ermitage Chapel at Nancy: 4 panels.
1947
Honorary President of the Salon d’Automne.
1950
Television interview with J. Prichard.
October 4th: death of George Desvallières.
(*) from this date onwards, successive occurrences of the Salon d’Automne are not all indicated in this non-exhaustive chronology.
