Ziem Felix

Biography

Félix Ziem, born February 25, 1821 in Beaune, is a French painter renowned for his seascapes and landscapes of Venice and Constantinople. An orientalist painter and member of the Barbizon School, he is recognized as one of the precursors of Impressionism.
Coming from a modest family, Ziem studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Dijon before devoting himself to painting. His travels in Italy, particularly Venice, as well as in Russia and the Middle East had a profound influence on his work. He was a friend of Théodore Rousseau and Jean-François Millet, and received the Legion of Honor in 1857. His paintings were exhibited at the Louvre during his lifetime, a first for an artist still alive.
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Ziem traveled extensively, visiting Constantinople, Egypt, Algeria and Greece. He settled in Paris in 1849 while remaining attached to Barbizon and Martigues, nicknamed "The Venice of Provence". He married Ursule Treilles in 1904. In 1910, the City of Martigues created the Ziem Museum. He died in Paris on November 10, 1911 and was buried in the Père-Lachaise cemetery.