LCV Spring 2013 - (Page 40)

A native of France, George David Coulon made a substantial contribution to New Orleans as an artist, teacher and restorer of portraits. Active as a painter between 1839 and 1902, Coulon was known for the meticulous detail and the jewel-like quality of his portraits and landscapes. Art was a family affair for Coulon, who was sometimes assisted by his wife, son and daughter—all artists in their own right. A founding member of the Southern Art Union and its successor, the Artists’ Association of New Orleans, Coulon made the first known attempt to document New Orleans’ artistic heritage, brief notes that are in the collection of the Louisiana State Museum. EARLY LIFE George David Coulon was born in Seloncourt, France, on November 14, 1822. At age ten he immigrated to Louisiana with his mother, father and siblings. As a child Coulon made drawings and colored them with indigo, the juice of herbs and berries. Though Coulon’s father wanted him to learn watchmaking, he eventually allowed George to pursue his artistic interests. Young George studied art in New Orleans with ToussaintFrançois Bigot, François Fleischbein and Antoine Mondelli, as well as Julien Hudson, a free man of color. In 1839 Coulon assisted muralist Léon Pomarède in painting a copy of Raphael’s Transfiguration in St. Patrick’s Church on Camp Street in New Orleans. He also participated in painting a ceiling fresco in the Cabildo’s Old Criminal Court. In 1841, Coulon completed his first portrait; his second, Young Boy Holding a Rose, is in the collection of the Louisiana State Museum. In 1845 Coulon began restoring aged and damaged paintings. From 1851 to 1865 he also taught drawing and painting at informal schools for girls and young women, after which he gave private lessons. His students included John Kingston, Marie Madeleine Seebold (Molinary), Marie de Jastram, Eloise Walker Duffy, Adine Reed and Carrie Trost. Coulon received commissions from charitable and religious institutions, including a nativity scene in 1848. After 1853, Coulon painted portraits from photographs, sometimes working with photographer John Hawley Clarke to enhance black-and-white photographs with color. Subsequently, his paintings became more photographic in their appearance. From about 1885 through 1897, Coulon painted portraits of seven Louisiana Supreme Court justices, including Joshua 40 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES • Spring 2013 George David Coulon Sunset Over the Bayou, 1887 Gouache on paper, 3 1/3 in. The Roger H. Ogden Collection George David Coulon Bayou Dawn, 1885 Gouache on paper, 4 1/4 in. The Roger H. Ogden Collection 

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