Jeanne-Marie Barbey (1876 - 1960)

Jeanne-Marie Barbey, real name Louise Jeanne Marie Barbée, is a French painter and photographer, renowned for her works featuring Brittany.

The daughter of a cabinetmaker from Carhaix and a mother from Gourin, Jeanne-Marie Barbey grew up in an environment steeped in Breton culture. Between 1895 and 1907, she obtained several teaching diplomas in drawing, enabling her to become a teacher in this discipline.

Fascinated by Brittany, she regularly vacationed in Gourin, where her brother Auguste ran the Hôtel de la Croix-Verte. It was here that she drew the inspiration for her works, producing sketches and photographs as a basis for her paintings. Her favorite subjects included scenes of Breton daily life, such as interiors, pardons and markets.

In 1912, she began exhibiting at the Salon des Indépendants and, in 1926, became the first woman member of the committee of the Society of Independent Artists, where she held the positions of secretary-rapporteur and treasurer until 1960. Her friendship with the painter Paul Signac, president of the society, influenced her work, notably through a sensitivity to post-impressionism.

In addition to her paintings, Jeanne-Marie Barbey left an important photographic collection, comprising around 200 glass plate negatives, testifying to her interest in Breton culture. This collection is kept at the Musée de Bretagne in Rennes.

After her death, her heir, Marguerite Fellows, donated 74 of her works to the Musée de Vannes in 1995, contributing to the rediscovery of this talented artist. Following Marguerite's death, Jeanne-Marie Barbey's studio collection was dispersed at an auction in 2006, during which several records were set.