Frédéric Soulacroix | Academic painter

The son of the well known painter and sculptor Charles (Montpellier, 1825-Firenze, 1899) and of Giacinta Diofebo, Charles Joseph Frédéric Soulacroix (1858-1933) lived until spring 1863 in Rome and later in Boulogne-sur-Mer (where his father Charles was painting the frescoes of the local cathedral), in Paris and, since 1870, in Italy in Firenze.

In 1873, at 15, Frédéric enters the “Accademia di Belle Arti” of Firenze and in Octobre 1876 is admitted to the “Scuola di Pittura”.

1890: June the 6th, he marries in Florence Julie Fernande Blanc. They live in Piazza Donatello, 21 in a charming house with rear garden they acquire. Firenze sees the birth of four boys: Olivier, George, Gabriel and a girl, Amélie Florence.

In 1924: Nominated “Officier d’Academie” by the French Authorities.
1933: Dies in Cesena (I) by his daughter Amélie Florence, married in 1924 to prince Urbano Chiaramonti, nephew of Pope Pius the VII. Buried in the Chiaramonti tomb.

An artist who enjoyed an enormous success, his paintings were mainly for private customers coming from USA, England, Germany (Munich especially), South America, Canada.

He made a portrait of the Queen Margherita wife of King Umberto I of Italy and those of the King of Siam and his brother Prince Sanbasaska.

In recent sales and in pictures of his works appearing from time to time on the “web” (e.g. all the pictures shown above), Frédéric is very often confused with his father Charles. Frédéric’s signature is however unmistakable: his works are always signed F.Soulacroix - generally in red - whilst Charles always signed C. or Ch.or Charles Soulacroix.

Whilst Frédéric had a vast production of paintings, his father Charles had a very limited one having started as a sculptor who soon passed to frescos painting (e.g. those in the Cathedral of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France) after having suffered a painful eye illness provoked by marble dust.

Photographs of Frédéric’s works taken before shipment, as well as watercolours and some portraits of members of his family painted by his father Charles are now the property of the Chiaramonti family, together with many objects (clocks, sofas, chairs etc.) which often appear in Frédéric's paintings. | © Gregorio d'Ottaviano Chiaramonti, Art Renewal Center

Frédéric Soulacroix (1858-1933) pittore Francese vissuto in Italia tra Roma e Firenze Nel 1873, a 15 anni, Federico fu ammesso all'Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze e nel mese di ottobre del 1876 alla "Scuola di Pittura".

Si sposò con Julie Fernande Frederic Blanc a Firenze e vissero in piazza Donatello, 21 anni, in una elegante casa con giardino. Soulacroix ha avuto tre figli: Oliver, George e Amelie.

Nei suoi quadri la sua firma è spesso confusa con quella di suo padre Joseph Charles Soulacroix. La sua opera tuttavia è inconfondibile. I  suoi soggetti sono belle scene in interno, la cura del dettaglio si sofferma amorevolmente sulla ricchezza delle stoffe degli abiti femminili, nonché nella tappezzeria e nei tendaggi.