Paris! Paris!

Between 1703 and 1863, in the absence of a true school of fine arts in Switzerland, many Swiss artists left their country to train in Paris. Who were they? What did they do there? A systematic study of archival sources has brought together all the documentation concerning some 400 Swiss artists trained in the French capital. The critical essay in this volume explores their motives for departure, the conditions of their stay and artistic training, their participation in the Salons and their professionalization, as well as how they put their artistic capital to use upon returning to Switzerland. The repertory, previously unpublished, traces the career of every artist concerned and serves as a fundamental lexicographical reference for future research.