Jean-Louis Hamon

Jean-Louis Hamon (5 May 1821 – 29 May 1874) was a French painter.

He was born at Plouha, in today's Côtes-d'Armor département, in France. At an early age he was intended for the priesthood, and placed under the care of the brothers Lamennais, but his strong desire to become a painter finally triumphed over family opposition, and in 1840 he left Plouha for Paris—his sole resources being a pension of five hundred francs, granted him for one year only by the municipality of his native town.

At Paris Hamon received valuable advice and encouragement from Paul Delaroche and Charles Gleyre, and in 1848 he made his appearance at the Salon with "Le Tombeau du Christ" (Musée de Marseille), and a decorative work, Dessus de Porte. The works which he exhibited in 1849 Une Affiche romaine, L'Égalité au sérail, and Perroquet jasant avec deux jeunes filles obtained no marked success.

His lack of success led Hamon to accept a job as a designree in the Sèvres porcelein factory, but an enamelled casket designed by him attracted notice at the London International Exhibition of 1851. He received a medal, and, inspired by his success, left his post to try his chances again at the Salon of 1852. "La Comédie humaine", which he then exhibited, turned the tide of his fortune, and Ma sœur n'y est pas (purchased by the emperor Napoleon III) obtained for its author a third-class medal in 1853. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1855, when Hamon re-exhibited the casket of 1851, together with several vases and pictures of which L'Amour et son troupeau, Ce n'est pas moi, and Une Gardeuse d'enfants were the most important, he received a second class medal, and the ribbon of the legion of honor.

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