Jean Rivière 1853-1922

Born into a family of cabinetmakers in Toulouse, Jean Rivière received his earliest training in woodworking from his father before learning sculpture in a workshop specialising in religious statuary. Around 1868, he entered the Toulouse School of Fine Arts, where he received several distinctions and formed lasting friendships with Henri Martin, Jules Jacques Labatut, Henri Marre and Paul Pujol.

Although most of his fellow students continued their studies in Paris, the young artist remained deeply attached to his native city, exhibiting regularly at the Salon de l’Union Artistique de Toulouse between 1885 and 1922. This geographical loyalty did not prevent him from sending works to the Salon des Artistes Français between 1882 and 1896, where he received an honourable mention in 1887 before becoming a member of the Société des Artistes Français in 1893.

Dividing his career between the decorative arts and monumental ornamental sculpture, Rivière carried out numerous prestigious commissions in Toulouse, notably for the Capitole, the University and the Musée des Augustins.

Equally committed to teaching, he was appointed professor of ornamental sculpture at the city’s School of Fine Arts in 1890 and became the permanent holder of the chair in 1892. He played an active role in modernising its teaching methods, advocating an education focused on the applied arts.

The creation of a woodworking studio in 1907, where he encouraged the use of simple forms and clean lines, reflects his adherence to the ideals of Art Nouveau.