Felix Francois Roubaud Paintings

Felix Francois Georges Philibert Ziem, known as Felix Ziem, was an influential French artist born in Beaune in the Cote-d'Or département of the Burgundy region on February 26, 1856. He was part of the Barbizon school, a group of artists who worked in the Barbizon village near the Fontainebleau Forest in France, developing a naturalistic, plein air style of painting. However, Ziem is often more closely associated with the Impressionists due to his vibrant color palette and light-filled landscapes.

Ziem studied architecture before becoming a painter, which influenced his strong sense of structure and composition in his artworks. His travels extensively influenced his work, particularly his visits to Italy, the Netherlands, and most notably, the city of Venice, which became a recurring subject in his oeuvre. Ziem was fascinated by the interplay of light and water, and Venice provided the perfect backdrop for his exploration of these elements. He is well-known for his luminous Venetian scenes, which often feature shimmering waterways, gondolas, and the city's iconic architecture bathed in atmospheric light.

Throughout his career, Ziem also painted Orientalist subjects, drawing on his travels to the Near East. He exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon, where he received numerous accolades, and his work was sought after by collectors in France and abroad. Ziem's style evolved over the years, but he consistently captured the transient effects of light and atmosphere, placing him within the broader context of the Impressionist movement, although he maintained his unique artistic identity.

Ziem died on November 10, 1928, in Paris. His legacy is preserved in many public collections, including the Louvre in Paris, which holds some of his work. Today, Ziem is remembered for his contribution to French landscape painting and his distinctive, luminous portrayal of Venice and other locales that caught his artistic fascination.