Priya Kapoor
Jules Guérin was an American muralist, architectural delineator, and illustrator. His work as a book illustrator came as a result of magazine commissions. Guérin won the prestigious Charles Tyson Yerkes First Figure Painting Prize and the W. L. Mead Watercolor Prize at the annual exhibition of the Chicago Society of Artists. Guérin's paintings can be found in many well-known public structures such as the Lincoln Memorial. His work as a painter has been sold at auctions and has been exhibited in galleries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | November 18, 1866 |
| Date of Death | June 13, 14, 1946 |
| Place of Birth | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Medium | Watercolor, gouache, tempera, oil, paper, canvas, lithograph, stone, gilt, linen, pottery |
| Subjects | Architecture, landscapes, people |
| Awards | Yerkes Prize, W. L. Mead Watercolor Prize, silver medal at the Louisiana Purchase Expo in St. Louis in 1904 |
| Notable Works | Reunion, Emancipation, illustrations for The Plan of Chicago, The Chateaux of Touraine |
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What You'll Learn
Jules Guérin's career as an illustrator
Jules Guérin (1866-1946) was an American artist who gained recognition as an illustrator, muralist, and magazine illustrator. He was considered to be the best painter of architectural subjects in America. Guérin's career as an illustrator began in Chicago, where he worked as a painter in a theatrical scenery firm as a teenager. In 1887, he received his first commission to illustrate a book, and he travelled abroad to study under Jean-Paul Laurens at the Académie Julian. He also spent time in Holland, painting landscapes and peasant farmworkers.
In 1895, Guérin went to Paris to study at the Académie Julian and in the ateliers of Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant, Jean-Paul Laurens, and Henri Martin. By 1889, he was sharing a studio with cartoonist Winsor McCay, and the two artists influenced each other in their use of daring points of view. In 1896, Guérin had secured his first regular work as an illustrator and joined Century Magazine. That same year, he left Chicago and travelled to Europe, where he continued to live and work.
In 1900, Guérin established his own studio in New York, where he made his name as an architectural delineator and illustrator. He worked mainly in watercolour, gouache, and tempera, usually on coloured board. His fame as a colourist soon spread, and he took on more work as a magazine illustrator. Guérin was a frequent contributor to Scribner's Magazine and Century Magazine during the first decade of the 20th century. He also sold lithographs.
In 1901, Guérin received his first important opportunity as an architectural delineator when he was hired by architect Charles Follen McKim to create illustrations for the Senate Parks Commission (McMillan Plan) for Washington. These illustrations were exhibited and published in 1902. This led to more work for Guérin, as architects began hiring him to create similar dramatic renderings of their buildings.
In 1907, Guérin was hired by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett to create perspective illustrations for their publication, The Plan of Chicago. His illustrations for this work are considered among his most famous. In addition to his work as an illustrator, Guérin also received many commissions for murals. His most famous murals are the two 60-foot-long murals in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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![Historic Framed Print, [View of the Library of Congress].Jules Guérin., 17-7/8" x 21-7/8"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41gl2I8fQCL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
![Historic Framed Print, [View of the Library of Congress].Jules Guérin. - 2, 17-7/8" x 21-7/8"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41jDlk7QbnL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
Guérin's work as a muralist
Jules Guérin (1866-1946) was an American muralist, architectural delineator, and illustrator. He gained prominence for his architectural work and large murals in many well-known public structures.
Guérin also painted several large murals in the old Federal Reserve Bank Building in San Francisco. In 1915, he was appointed Director of Colour at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, where he used a Mediterranean colour palette to accent the buildings, taking advantage of the local climate and flora. Connections made at this exposition likely led to his one-man show at the University of California, Berkeley, two years later.
In addition to his public works, Guérin was a frequent collaborator with the Chicago architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White. One notable commission was the dramatic fire curtain for the theatre in the Chicago Civic Opera Building in 1929.
Guérin's murals, like those of many muralists, are considered to be fine art. Muralists must have a good sense of scale and dimension, and they often incorporate architectural elements into their designs. They use a wide range of media and techniques, such as acrylic or oil paint, fresco, mezzo-fresco, and fresco-secco. Muralists must also consider the perspective of the viewer, choosing the correct paints to avoid issues with glare and sunlight, and working around objects and furnishings in the environment.
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Guérin's early life and career beginnings
Jules Guérin, born Jules Vallée Guérin, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on November 18, 1866. He received his early schooling in his hometown of St. Louis. Initially, Guérin decided to pursue a career in civil engineering and enrolled at Washington University. However, in 1880, he left the university and moved to Chicago, realising that his true interest lay in art.
In Chicago, Guérin's first job was as a painter of theatre scenery. During this time, he also enrolled at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he received his only confirmed art instruction—evening life drawing classes, which he attended from 1892 to 1894. While in Chicago, Guérin shared a studio with noted cartoonist Winsor McCay, and the two artists influenced each other in their use of daring points of view. In 1893, Guérin painted one of the buildings at the Chicago World's Fair.
In 1896, Guérin left Chicago to study in Paris. Although he was of French Huguenot descent, it is unlikely that he spoke French fluently as a child. Guérin's artistic style and method do not indicate a Beaux Arts education. In 1900, he established a studio in New York, where he gained recognition as an architectural delineator and illustrator. His first major break came when he was hired by Charles Follen McKim to create illustrations for the Senate Parks Commission (McMillan Plan) for Washington. These illustrations were exhibited and published in 1902, leading to further commissions from architects who sought similar dramatic renderings of their buildings.
Guérin primarily worked in watercolour, gouache, and tempera, usually on coloured board. He became renowned for his use of colour, and his fame as a colourist spread. In addition to his work as an illustrator, Guérin actively participated in international expositions, exhibiting at the Pan American Expo in Buffalo, New York, in 1901, and the Louisiana Purchase Expo in St. Louis in 1904, where he won a silver medal.
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Guérin's work in architectural delineation
Jules Guérin (1866–1946) was an American muralist, architectural delineator, and illustrator. He gained prominence for his architectural work, such as in the 1906 Plan for Chicago, and for the large murals he painted in many well-known public structures such as the Lincoln Memorial.
In 1906, Guérin created paintings of Burnham Plan, owned by the Chicago Historical Society. These included Chicago Bird's-Eye View at Night of Grant Park, Facade Of City, Proposed Harbor and Lagoons of Park on South Shore, and Michigan Avenue Looking Toward the South.
In 1907, Guérin was hired by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett to create perspective illustrations for their Plan of Chicago. This work further established him as a prominent architectural delineator.
In 1912, Guérin was hired by the architect Henry Bacon to create renderings of alternative designs for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. His paintings, still in the National Archives, were influential in Bacon winning the commission. Bacon then retained Guérin to paint two large murals, Reunion and Emancipation, that decorate the cella of the memorial.
In addition to his work as a book and magazine illustrator, Guérin actively participated in international expositions, showcasing his work at the Pan American Expo in Buffalo, New York, in 1901, and the Louisiana Purchase Expo held in St. Louis in 1904.
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The techniques and mediums used by Jules Guérin
Jules Guérin was an American artist who worked across a variety of mediums and techniques. He is best known for his work as an architectural delineator, illustrator, and muralist.
Guérin's early career began as a painter of theatrical scenery in Chicago, before he moved into book illustration and architectural painting. He worked mainly in watercolour, gouache, and tempera, often painting on coloured board. He also painted murals directly onto walls.
As an illustrator, Guérin worked with watercolours, creating dramatic renderings of buildings for architects. His fame as a colourist spread, and he began contributing to magazines such as Scribner's Magazine and Century Magazine, selling lithographs. Guérin also created colour illustrations for Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett's Plan of Chicago in 1907, which are considered among his most famous works.
Guérin also worked on canvas and paper, and his paintings often featured bold compositions with a flair for colour. He was also a member of the American Association of Watercolourists, further demonstrating his skill in this medium.
In addition to his two-dimensional works, Guérin created large murals for well-known public structures, such as the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. These murals, Reunion and Emancipation, were painted directly onto the walls of the memorial's cella and feature a subtle colour palette.
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Frequently asked questions
Jules Guérin was an American muralist, architectural delineator, and illustrator.
Jules Guérin worked mainly in watercolour, gouache, and tempera, usually on coloured board. He was also a frequent magazine illustrator and lithograph seller.
Jules Guérin's most famous works are his coloured illustrations for the "Plan of Chicago" (1907) published by Daniel Burnham and Edward Bennett.
Jules Guérin won the prestigious Charles Tyson Yerkes First Figure Painting Prize and a silver medal in St. Louis in 1904.
The worth of Jules Guérin's paintings varies. One of his watercolour paintings sold at auction for $2,750, while another sold for $17,500.
