Pierre Adolphe Valette French, 1876-1942

  • Step into the evocative world of Pierre Adolphe Valette, a French Impressionist painter renowned for his atmospheric depictions of early 20th-century Manchester. Valette's masterful use of light and shadow captures the essence of urban life, transforming industrial scenes into poetic compositions. His works offer a unique perspective on the interplay between architecture and environment, inviting viewers to experience the beauty and mood of the city's streets and waterways. Explore Valette's collection to appreciate the subtle nuances and rich textures that define his celebrated style.
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    Pierre Adolphe Valette (13 October 1876 – 1942) was a French Impressionist painter. His most acclaimed paintings are urban landscapes of Manchester, now in the collection of Manchester Art Gallery. Today, he is chiefly remembered as L.S. Lowry's tutor.

     

    Little is known of his family and early life, except that his parents were poor and that he studied at the local art school in St Etienne. His second wife Andree, believed that he started working at sixteen, so it was about 1862 that he went to Lyon to work as an engraver and painter whilst continuing his studies.He travelled a great deal and it was in Bordeaux where he was enrolled in evening classes that he won the crucial scholarship in 1903, which was to bring him to England. He enrolled in the painting course at the Birkbeck Institute in London.

     

    He left for Manchester after only a few months, arriving around Spring 1904. He worked for some time on private commissions and designing calendars and tickets.In the evenings Valette attended classes at the Municipal School of Art and by 1906 he was on the staff and was soon Art Master. Between 1906-20 Valette’s presence seems to have transformed the school of Art. One of his pupils was L.S. Lowry, who went on to achieve world wide fame. Lowry paid tribute to Valette on a number of occasions.

     

    Whilst in Manchester, Valette produced some stunning paintings of Manchester city scenes seen through an impressionist eye. He captured the city in all it’s moods, from the bustling streets during the day through to the sombre stillness of the canals on a cold wintery evening. Lowry was obviously influenced by the way Valette painted Manchester.He exhibited in Manchester in 1912 and with The Society of Modern Painters in Liverpool on a regular basis until he left England in 1928. He retired to his parents cottage in Blache. He continued to paint in the latter part of his life, concentrating mainly on French Landscapes.

     

    In recent years exhibitions of his work have been held at Manchester City Art Gallery in 1976 and in 1994.

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    Pierre Adolphe Valette (1876–1942) was a French Impressionist painter best known for his atmospheric urban landscapes of Manchester. Born in Saint-Étienne, France, he trained at the École Municipale de Beaux-Arts et des Arts Décoratifs in Bordeaux before moving to England in 1904. Valette significantly influenced British art through his teaching at the Manchester Municipal School of Art, where he mentored notable artists, including L.S. Lowry.

    Valette's art is characterised by his impressionist approach that captures the misty atmosphere and diffused light of industrial Manchester. His paintings often depict urban scenes shrouded in fog, with his instantly recognisable muted palette, that perfectly conveys the mood and essence of early 20th century Manchester. Valette's technique emphasises the interplay of light and shadow offering an impressionistic interpretation of the urban landscape.

    Valette's work frequently explores themes of urbanisation and industrialisation, focusing on the city's buildings, monuments and the waterways which were so integral to Manchester. Through his paintings he conveys an expression of fondness for his family and friends and the love of the two places which encompassed much of his life, Manchester and the Beaujolais region of France. He portrayed the two places very differently in light of the different stages of his life. Manchester was depicted in the fog and pollution of a city undergoing economic and industrial change, reflecting the artistic struggles he witnessed. In contrast, the Beaujolais region represented the peaceful calm of the later years of his life.

    As a tutor at the Manchester Municipal School of Art, Valette profoundly influenced his students most notably L.S.Lowry. Lowry credited Valette with introducing him to new techniques and further exploring Manchester's landscape as an artistic subject. Valette's emphasis on capturing the atmospheric qualities helped shape Lowry's distinctive style. Lowry described Valette as " a real teacher, a dedicated teacher" and acknowledged his debt to him saying "I cannot overestimate the effect on me at that time, of the coming into this drab city of Adolphe Valette, full of the French impressionist, aware of everything that was going on in Paris. He had a freshness and breath of experience that exhilarated his students."