JAMES JACQUES JOSEPH TISSOT
JAMES JACQUES JOSEPH TISSOT
 Tissot "Sur L'Herbe"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Sur L'Herbe" Wentworth 50 Etching and drypoint on cream laid paper, c. 1880 From the edition of approximately 100 Signed in the late: J.J. Tissot/1880 Image Size: 7 3/4" x 10 5/8" From the edition of approximately 100 Superb dark impression of the Second State of two REF. #1534 $16,500 |  Tissot "La Soeur Ainee"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "La Soeur Ainee" Wentworth 53 Etching and drypoint, c. 1881 From the edition of 100 Signed and dated in the plate upper center Image Size: 11 3/8" x 6" From the edition of approximately 150 Rich strong impression with strong burr REF. #1204 $12,500 |  Tissot "Printemps"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Printemps" Wentworth 34 Etching and drypoint on laid paper, c. 1878 Only state, from the total edition of approximately 100 impressions Signed J. J. Tissot, upper right in plate Image Size: 15" x 5 5/16" REF. #1471 $15,000 |
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 Tissot "Port of Miss l"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Portrait de Miss I" Wentworth 23 Drypoint in black ink on cream laid paper, c. 1876 Signed in pencil, lower left: J.J. Tissot/1876 Image Size: 14 3/4" x 8 1/8" From the edition of approximately 50 Brilliant, richly inked impression with strong contrasts and velvety burr REF. #1393 $22,500 |  Tissot "Le Petit Nemrod"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Le Petit Nemrod" Wentworth 83 Mezzotint, c. 1886 From state I of II before letters Approximately 100 impressions known Signed J. J. Tissot, lower right margin Image Size: 16 7/8" x 22 3/8" REF. #1209 $15,000 |  Tissot "Le Banc de Jardin"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Le Banc De Jardin" Wentworth 75 Mezzotint printed on chine applique, c. 1883 State I of III before letters Signed in pencil Image Size: 16 1/2" x 22 1/8" Crisp dark early impression REF. #1244 $19,500 |
 Tissot "La Portique de la Galerie"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Le Portique de la Galerie Nationale a Londres" Wentworth 40 Etching and drypoint on imitation Japanese paper, c. 1878 Only state published, from the total edition of 100 Signed J. J. Tissot on the step, lower right Image Size: 14 7/8" x 8 1/4" REF. #1260 $11,500 |  Tissot "Entre les Deux Mon Coeur"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Entre Les Deux Mon Coeur Balance" Wentworth 30 Etching and drypoint printed on laid paper, c. 1877 Signed and dated in the plate lower right Image Size: 9 7/8" x 14" Rich early impression REF. #1232 $24,500 |  Tissot "L'apparition"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "L'apparition Mediunimique" Wentworth 76 Mezzotint printed on Japanese vellum, c. 1885 State I of II, before letters Signed in the pater: J.J. Tissot Image Size: 19 1/4" x 23 1/2" From the edition of approximately 150 Superb rich tonal impression REF. #2022 $10,500 |
 Tissot "Au Bord de la Mer"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Au Bord de la Mer" Wentworth 47 Etching and drypoint, c. 1880 Only state published Signed and dated lower left: J.J. Tissot/1880 Image Size: 14 15/16" x 5 7/16" Rich dark impression REF. #1233 $12,500 |  Tissot "L'Enfant Prodigue"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue: Frontispice" Wentworth 57 Etching, c. 1882 Signed and dated in the plate lower right Image size: 12 1/4" x 14 3/4" Second state, from the edition of 400 with letters Rich early impression REF. #1210-1 $24,500 for set of five |  Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue 2"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue: Le Depart" Wentworth 58 Etching, c. 1882 Signed and dated in plate, lower left. Image Size: 12 1/4" x 14 3/4" Second state, from the edition of 400 with letters Rich early impression REF. # 1210-2 |
 Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue 3"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue: Frontispice" Wentworth 57 Etching, c. 1882 Signed and dated in plate, lower left. Image Size: 12 1/4" x 14 3/4" Second state, from the edition of 400 with letters Rich early impression REF. #1210-3 |  Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue 4"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue: Le Retour" Wentworth 60 Etching, c. 1882 Signed and dated in plate, lower right. Image Size: 12 1/4" x 14 3/4" Second state, from the edition of 400 with letters Rich early impression 1210-4 |  Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue 5"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "L'enfant Prodigue: Le Veau Gras" Wentworth 61 Etching, c. 1882 Signed and dated in plate, lower left. Image Size: 12 1/4" x 14 3/4" Second state, from the edition of 400 with letters Rich early impression 1210-5 |
 Tissot "Renee & Reverchon Swimming"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: Renee and Reverchon Swimming in the Seine" Wentworth 62 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on Japon paper Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, upper left in plate. "J.J. Tissot" Image Size: 3 7/8"" x 5 5/8" First state, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. #1761 $2,750 |  Tissot "Renee Hugging her Father"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: Renee Hugging Her Father as She Comes to Breakfast" Wentworth 63 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on Japon paper Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, upper left in plate. "J.J. Tissot" Image Size: 5 1/2" X 3 15/16" First state, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. #1762 $2,750 |  Tissot "Renee Approaching"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: Denoisel, Reading in the Garden, Renee Approaching" Wentworth 64 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on Japon paper Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, upper left in plate. "J.J. Tissot" Image Size: 4 5/16" x 5 1/2" First state, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. #1763 $2,750 |
 Tissot "Renee: Challenge to Duel"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: Denoisel and Henri Mauperin's Rooms in the rue Taitbout as Baisjorand de Villacourt Enters to Challenge him to a Duel" Wentworth 66 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on Japon paper Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, upper left in plate. "J.J. Tissot" Image Size: 4" x 5 1/2" First state, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. #1764 $2,750 |  Tissot "Renee Fainting"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: Renee Fainting After Hearing of Her Brother's Death in the Duel" Wentworth 68 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on Japon paper Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, upper left in plate. "J.J. Tissot" Image Size: 4 5/16" x 5 1/2" First state, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. #1765 $2,750 |  Tissot "Renee and Father on Porch"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: Renee and Her Father Sitting on the Porch of the Church at Morimond" Wentworth 70 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on Japon paper Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, upper left in plate. "J.J. Tissot" Image Size: 5 15/16" x 3 313/16" First state, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. #1766 $2,750 |
 Tissot "Renee Mauperin: in Egypt"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: M. and Mme. Mauperin in Egypt" Wentworth 71 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on Japon paper Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, upper left in plate. "J.J. Tissot" Image Size: 4 5/16" x 5 1/2" First state, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. # $2,750 |  Tissot "Henri Mauperin Wounded"James Jacques Joseph Tissot "Renee Mauperin: Henri Mauperin Wounding after the Duel with Boisjorand de Villacourt" Wentworth 67 Etching, c. 1882 From the edition of 20 on paper velin de Japon Signed in pencil, lower left Signed, lower left in plate: J. J. Tissot Image size: 5 15/16" x 3 13/16" First State, before letters Rare: Rich early impression REF. #1768 $2,750 |
James Tissot is famous for his exquisite paintings of beautiful English women and most people think he was English. In fact Jacques-Joseph Tissot was born in Nantes, then a thriving port on the Loire estuary in western France. He adopted the name James as an Anglicised form when living in England.
His friends were Manet and Degas, with whom he shared a teacher in the painting school in Paris. Not a lot is known of his personal life except that around 1876 a mysterious attractive lady begins to appear in his pictures. Her identity remained a mystery until well into this century. Her name was Kathleen Newton, née Kelly. Her father, an Irish army officer, arranged the marriage of his convent-educated daughter when she was only 17, sending her off to India to marry a certain Isaac Newton, a surgeon in the Indian Civil Service. On the ship, however, she fell in love with a Captain Palliser, but only confessed this to Newton after their wedding on 3rd of January 1871. Newton's response was to divorce her immediately.
Decree nisi was granted on the 20th December the same year. Kathleen had returned to England by then and on the same day gave birth to her daughter by Captain Palliser. We do not know exactly when or where Tissot met and fell in love with her, but we do know that in March 1871 she gave birth to another child, believed to be Tissot's son. This of course was regarded as scandalous behavior in those days and was kept secret by Kathleen's family until quite recently.
In 1876 Kathleen Newton and her two children moved into Tissot's house and remained there until her death from consumption in 1882. She was only 28. For Tissot, the time spent with Kathleen was the happiest period in his life, and one which he was to look back on longingly for the rest of his days.
Finding the thought of life in London intolerable without her, he decided to leave at once. Within only five days of her death, he abandoned the house, leaving his paints, brushes and some unfinished canvases behind him, and returned to Paris. Later he sold the house to his friend Alma-Tadema.
He carried on painting the fashionable society for three years after arriving in Paris, but from 1885 until his death in 1902, he became very religious and spent the last 17 years living as a recluse painting religious pictures.
During his eleven years in London, Tissot enjoyed great artistic and financial success and produced most of his finest work. Unlike some of the artists whose talents are only appreciated after their death, Tissot's pictures were loved and bought by his contemporaries and sold for very high prices.
Despite his success in England, however, the French persisted in regarding him as a minor artist and dismissed his work as being "too English"! And curiously, he is one of the few painters who has not "gone out of fashion". He appeals to us today as much as he did to the people who saw his pictures at his first exhibitions.