Painter, Landscape painter, Genre Painter, Illustrator, b. 1844 - d. 1889

Jules Tavernier was a French painter and illustrator known for his depictions of landscapes, particularly Hawaiian volcanoes. He first visited the United States in his capacity as a magazine illustrator, when he traveled across several western states, sketching and painting the scenes he observed along the way. The artist is often considered the most prominent member of Hawaii’s Volcano School, a movement in which non-native artists painted the state’s volcanoes.

About Jules Tavernier

• Artist: Jules Tavernier


• Alias: Jules Tavernier


• Profession: Painter, illustrator


• Nationality: French

Jules Tavernier is a French painter best known for his landscape works. He often painted the volcanoes of Honolulu, where he had relocated in 1884, seeking refuge from debts and damaged relationships from over a decade spent in the United States. Among his notable works is his 1978 painting Cérémonie, which depicts an Indigenous ceremonial ritual in dim lighting.

Tavernier was born to a British candy maker in Paris, where he studied art at École des Beaux-Arts under the French painter Félix-Joseph Barrias. From 1870 to 1871, he fought in the Franco-Prussian War, and during his service, he sold at least one satirical artwork to support himself and his fellow troops. After the war, he worked as an illustrator at London Graphic, and in 1873, Harper’s Magazine sent him and American artist Paul Frezeny to travel in several states in the American west, including Colorado, Utah, and California.

In 1875, Tavernier became vice president of the San Francisco Art Association and assisted in founding the Bohemian Club. His influence expanded when he launched his Monterey, California studio and invited other artists to work alongside him there.

Many art historians consider Tavernier among the most successful members of Hawaii’s Volcano School, which was a group of non-Hawaiian artists who painted Hawaiian volcanoes. Some of Tavernier’s most notable students include Manuel Valencia, Amédée Joullin, and Charles Rollo Peters.

Related Styles and Movements

• Illustration


• Landscape Painting

Highlights and Achievements

• In 1864, when Tavernier was 20 years old, he exhibited at The Louvre’s prestigious Paris Salon.


• His 1877 painting Figure on a Rock Ledge with an Expansive Landscape Beyond sold for $120,000 in April 2023 via Bonhams.

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