ABOUT...
Alphonse de Neuville and Sanford Saltus Prize
of the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France
In 2003, TOFFART, then a young painter still signing his works with his surname, received his first professional recognition. He was awarded the Alphonse de Neuville and Sanford Saltus Prize at the 340th edition of the Salon des artistes Français, held from October 31 to November 9 at the Espace Auteuil in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.This prize, accompanied by a reward of 1,500 Euros, was awarded to him by the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France. The artist's work that earned him this prize is a portrait of Miss Peggie DIGGINS (shown opposite).
During their career, any professional visual artist may be the fortunate recipient of a greater or lesser number of awards following local, national, or international exhibitions; awards which, in the form of medals, statuettes, or trophies, eventually clutter shelves and attics, much like high-level athletes or agricultural fairs. The importance attached to them actually sparks a controversial debate within the art world, especially among enthusiasts who understandably question their value... However, few visual artists have had their talent officially recognized by a prestigious national institution. TOFFART is among them! To highlight the exceptional nature of the event, it seems necessary to describe in detail the components of the Alphonse de Neuville and Sanford Saltus prize.
What is the Académie des Beaux-Arts?
The Academie des Beaux-Arts is part of the Institut de France. It is alongside four other academies: the Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres, the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences, and, the most well-known, the French Academy. The latter is the most emblematic, to the point that when one talks about the "academy," one automatically thinks of the French Academy. However, all five academies are established in the Palais des Quatre Nations, on the Quai Conti in Paris. They are all composed of academicians in green attire sitting under the Dome. The Academy of Fine Arts is the union of the Royal Academy of Painting, the Royal Academy of Sculpture, and the Royal Academy of Architecture, all created in 1648 by the King’s painter, Charles Le Brun, at the initiative of Louis XIV... Currently, its President is Mr. TAILIBERT, its Vice-President is Mr. Laurent PETITGIRARD, and Mr. Arnaud d'HAUTERIVES is the Permanent Secretary. Among its illustrious members are Pierre CARDIN, Gérard LANVIN, Roman POLANSKI, Jeanne MOREAU, Jean-Jacques ANNAUD, Woody ALLEN, Yann ARTHUS-BERTRAND... The Academicians are divided into several sections: painting, sculpture, architecture, musical composition, engraving, photography, and artistic creations in cinema and audiovisual, plus a free section and a section for foreign members. In total, there are 64 Academicians who oversee the destiny of the Academie des Beaux-Arts.
Portait of Charles LE BRUN
Palais des Quatre Nations see from the Pont Des Arts, Paris.
What does the award Alphonse DE NEUVILLE et SANFORD-SALTUS correspond to?
The prize awarded to TOFFART is one of the approximately 28 prizes given by the painting section of the Academy of Fine Arts. Unlike others, it is of a random nature, meaning it is not awarded every year systematically. As a result, it never appears on the list of prizes at the Salon of French Artists. Originally, it rewards the most beautiful painted work at the Salon. It is awarded to a young artist.
Why is this award given at the Salon des Artistes Français?
The Salon des Artistes Français is the direct heir of the Salon of the Royal Academy, founded in 1673 to serve as the official showcase for artists approved by the Crown to the general public. Despite their separation, enforced by public authorities during the 19th century, there still exists a historical link connecting the Académie des Beaux-Arts to its former salon, where recognized talents mingle with young artists seeking professional recognition. As a result, the Academy of Fine Arts continues the tradition of awarding its prizes there, independently of those specific to the Salon.
Why is this prize called Alphonse DE NEUVILLE and SANFORD-SALTUS?
All the prizes awarded by the Academy of Fine Arts originate from foundations created to honor the memory of a distinguished painter, a patron, or a wealthy donor. The age of some of them is such that the Academy of Fine Arts no longer knows their exact origin today. This was the finding made by TOFFART when he inquired with the Institute's secretariat about the prize he had just been awarded. It is from this surprising ignorance that the initiative to write this article arose.
As examples, one can mention, in no particular order, the Liliane BETTENCOURT Prize, the Paul CHABAS Prize, the Henri LEHMANN Prize, the HAUMONT Prize, the Eugène PIOT Prize, the COLMONT Prize, the Veuve BUCHERE Prize, the RULHMANN Prize, the Doctor CARRIERE Foundation Prize, or the DE ROTHSCHILD Foundation Prize... In total, the Academy of Fine Arts oversees the distribution of 150 prizes across the different sections. To return to the prize won by TOFFART, it should be specified that Alphonse DE NEUVILLE is a famous French painter and John SANFORD-SALTUS a prominent American patron. Originally, these were two separate prizes that were combined at an indeterminate time and for an unknown reason. Indeed, although they were contemporaries, nothing in their respective biographies indicates that Alphonse DE NEUVILLE and John SANFORD-SALTUS met, let alone that they had any common ground. Nevertheless, the association of their donors makes this Academy prize of the Académie des Beaux-Arts the only one to have a double parentage and the only one to be Franco-American. A fortunate association that delights the Americanophile artist that TOFFART is.
Who are the two personalities behind this award?
The first is an iconic figure of French painting at the end of the 19th century. The strength of his works makes him an essential reference for TOFFART, who is himself a painter of military subjects.Alphonse DE NEUVILLE was born in Saint-Omer in 1835 and died in Paris in 1885. After a year of studies in Lorient, he prepared for the Naval School, then studied law, which brought him to Paris. DE NEUVILLE ultimately decided to devote himself to art. His beginnings were modest: he took part in the revival of wood engraving by collaborating on illustrations for the leading newspapers of the time. This career continued very late, as evidenced by the illustration he created for GUIZOT’s Histoire de France racontée à mes petits-enfants, published in 1872. DE NEUVILLE wished to pursue a career as a history painter and entered PICOT's workshop, while also receiving advice from DELACROIX, whose saying he liked: ""Remember that the drawing of movement outweighs the drawing of form." His first painting, "The 5ème Bataillon de Chasseurs à la Batterie Gervais", earned him a third medal at the 1859 Salon. Two years later, he won a second medal with another scene from the Crimean War. But he did not follow the campaigns of the Second Empire, and his "Episode from the Battle of Magenta" (1864) shows it. The movement lacks the truthfulness of a lived scene. The war of 1870 would upheave his painting. Present at the siege of Paris, he took part in the fighting in the Belleville sector. The first painting he exhibited after the war, "Bivouac before Le Bourget", at the 1872 Salon, was a personal memory. The following year, he exhibited "The Last Cartridges", which brought him fame. He profoundly transformed the military genre by prioritizing emotion, without neglecting historical accuracy. Often presented as the leader of a new school, DE NEUVILLE multiplies successes: Combat sur une Voie ferrée (1874), Attaque par le feu d'une Maison de Villersexel (1875), La Passerelle de la Gare de Styring (1877), Le Bourget (1878), Defense de la Porte de Longboyau (1879), un Porteur de dépêche and The Cimetière de Saint-Privat (1881).
All these paintings, widely circulated through engravings, shocked the public. From 1881 to 1883, DE NEUVILLE created, together with Edouard DETAILLE, panoramas of the battles of Champigny and Rezonville, which were successfully exhibited in Paris and Vienna. Although he devoted the majority of his work to the War of 1870, DE NEUVILLE depicted, in the 1880's, some episodes of British military history, notably the war against the Zulus. He also exhibited scenes inspired by his stay in Yport from 1872 to 1874. At his funeral, delegations from all branches of the armed forces marched behind his coffin, and one of the pall bearers was Major LAMBERT, the officer of the Last Cartridges. A committee, chaired by Edouard DETAILLE, funded the erection of a statue in Paris, Place Wagram, through public subscription.
Les Dernières Cartouches
Salon of 1873
(Maison de la Dernière Cartouche, Bazeilles)
Inspired by an episode from the Battle of Sedan (September 1, 1873), this painting became the icon of an entire generation. It would be one of the most reproduced works until 1914. The episode summarizes the resistance of the Army of the East before the great disaster at Sedan. The dramatic effect is heightened by the moment (the last cartridge) and by the visual absence of the enemy, who is implied.
Le Cimetière de Saint-Privat
Salon of 1881
(Musée d'Orsay, Paris)
It was more difficult to find some information about this little-known figure in France. TOFFART, being a historian by training, set out to answer this mystery. John SANFORD-SALTUS was a wealthy American patron born on March 9, 1853, in New Haven, Connecticut. He realized that the United States had no medal-making artisans or any medals cabinet, unlike European countries. As a result, he promoted the art of engraving and the production of medals on American soil. He founded the American Medals Society. Today, this professional association annually awards the best American engraver through a prestigious competition.
An art enthusiast and Francophile, he became passionate... about Joan of Arc! From this singular enthusiasm, he commissioned statues representing the Maid of Orleans in Nice, Orléans, Rouen, and Domrémy, but also in New York and New Orleans, as well as in Winchester Cathedral in England! He was also fascinated by the tragic fate of the Dauphin Louis XVII, on which he gathered extensive documentation that he bequeathed to the Salmagundi Club. Above all, he dedicated his immense fortune to supporting the arts. In this capacity, he was appointed a correspondent of the Academie des Beaux-Arts of the Institut de France. Like many patrons, in 1919 he established an award in his name intended to reward “the best painting or sculpture work of the Salon.” He committed suicide by poisoning in London on June 22, 1922, shortly before the opening of the British Numismatic Society exhibition, likely following a debt of honor..
What is the track record of this award?
The Academie des Beaux-Arts apparently does not aim to keep a list of all artists awarded for each of the prizes it grants. Moreover, since the Alphonse DE NEUVILLE and SANFORD-SALTUS prizes are awarded randomly, their recipients have been rare since the post-war period. Thus, based on research conducted by TOFFART, only 7 visual artists are officially recorded as having received this double prize, which reflects the high standards of the academicians, who often leave the Salon empty-handed. As a result, its recipients are truly recognized for their talent in their painting themes. They are all painters, some of whom have become prominent figures :
In 1970 : Paul AMBILLE (1930 - 2010), Grand Prix de Rome in 1955. Member of the Institut de France. Official painter of the French Navy. Honorary President of the Taylor Foundation. Honorary President of the Salon des Artistes Français.
In 1991 : Arlette LE MORE (1930 - 2015), vice-President of the Taylor Foundation.
Monique JOURNOD (1935 - 2024). Second Prix de Rome in 1962. Gold Medal of the Salon des Artistes Français. Awarded by the Taylor Foundation.
In 2003, TOFFART, bord in 1963. Graduate of Ecole Boulle.
In 2013, Carine HAYOT, painter born in 1961. Awarded by the Fondation Taylor.
And also :
- Georges ROUXEL (1931-2004), painter.
- In 2010, Futaï NAGANA, japanese painter.
TOFFART is the author of this unprecedented synthesis. His original version was prepared on September 23, 2010. It stems from a question that went unanswered in 2003 by the Secretariat of the Institut de France. This page of his website is dedicated to all future laureates of the Alphonse DE NEUVILLE and ANFORD-SALTUS prize who will ask the same question.This prize was awarded during the solemn public session on Wednesday, November 19, 2003, which took place under the dome of the Institut, in the presence of the Academicians, representatives of the diplomatic corps, the world of the press and media, and... the Garde Républicaine!