Virginie Élodie Marie Thérèse Demont-Breton known as Virginie Demont-Breton (1859 – 1935) – French artist and poet

Virginie Élodie Marie Thérèse Breton was born on 26th  July 1859 at Courrières, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France.   Virginie’s father was the artist Jules Breton (1827-1906), and her uncle was the artist Emile Breton.

Beginning in 1879, Virginie exhibited examples of her work in Paris. She was awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition held in Amsterdam in 1883. In 1880, Virginie married the artist Adrien Demont en 1880 and they had three daughters - Louise, Adrienne et Éliane.
 In 1890, Virginie and her husband moved to Wissant, a small village on the ‘Opal Coast’ in France between Capes Blanc-Nez and Gris-Nes.  The following year they had a house built by the Belgian architect Edmond De Vigne.

Virginie Demont-Breton joined the French Union of women artists and sculptors in 1883 and was President of the Union from 1895 until 1901.  In 1894, Virginie was awarded a Legion d’honneur.

Virginie died in Paris on 10th January 1935.

See some of Virginie’s beautiful paintings here:
https://iamachild.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/virginie-demont-breton-1859-1935-french/

Virginie’s poetry collection, “Tendresses dans la tourmente: 1914-1919 poésies”, was published by Alphonse Lemerre, Paris, 1920.  I am trying to find some of Virginie’s poems.  If anyone can help, please get in touch.

With thanks to Régine Verguier for finding Virginie for me

Virginie's most famous painting "L'Homme est en mer" - English translation 'Her husband is away at sea' evokes for me the sentiments of women during the Fist World War.

Message of encouragement from the Women's History Community

"Dear Lucy London and Female War Poets

Thank you for submitting your entry to the WHN Community Prize.  I am sorry to tell you that you were not one of our prize winners, but that the judges were impressed by your work to uncover previously forgotten / unacknowledged/ unpublished women poets. One of our judges commented that this was a really interesting topic and that on a very small budget, you had promoted and shared an area of women’s history that was not well known. Keep up the good work. 

All the very best

Professor Maggie Andrews on behalf of the Women's History Community History Prize Panel"

Thank you Professor Andrews and the Women's History Community History Prize Panel - my main aim is to spread the word about the amazing women of WW1.