Julian (Atelier Julian)

Research Status: Comprehensive Last Updated: 2025-08-16 Diary Coverage: 1877-1884

Identity

Académie Julian, founded by Rodolphe Julian (1839-1907), was a private art school in Paris that accepted female students when the École des Beaux-Arts did not.

Historical Significance

The Académie Julian was revolutionary for its time as one of the few institutions where women could receive serious artistic training alongside male students. It became the preferred choice for young European women with serious artistic ambitions whose gender excluded them from the École des Beaux-Arts.

Marie's Connection

Marie entered the Académie Julian in 1877 after losing her singing voice to tuberculosis. This marked her transition from aspiring opera singer to serious visual artist. The atelier became central to her identity and artistic development.

Educational Approach

• Provided academic training in drawing and painting
• Offered life drawing classes with nude models
• Prepared students for the Paris Salon
• Maintained high artistic standards
• Mixed-gender classes (revolutionary for the time)

Notable Students

Beyond Marie Bashkirtseff, the Académie Julian trained many significant artists including:

• Louise Breslau
• Anna Bilińska-Bohdanowicz
• Sarah Bernhardt (briefly)
• Many other international women artists

Marie's Artistic Development

Between 1877 and 1884, during her time at Julian, Marie created approximately 230 works of art. Her painting "Young Woman Reading 'The Question of Divorce'" (1880) was accepted for exhibition in the Paris Salon.

Social Context

For Marie, the atelier represented not just artistic education but social status and intellectual identity. Her attachment to "l'atelier Julian" was both professional and personal - it was where she found her artistic voice and community.