Pierre Eugène Vibert

"Portrait de Constantin Meunier" original woodcut

1904

Pierre-Eugène Vibert born February 16, 1875 in Carouge and died in the same city on January 1, 1937. He was a Swiss painter, draftsman, illustrator and engraver who shared his life between Geneva and Paris. Pierre-Eugène Vibert is the younger brother of sculptor James Vibert. He studied at the Cantonal School of Industrial Arts in Geneva, where he learned drawing from the painters Barthélemy Menn and Pierre Pignolat, and especially the art of wood engraving from Alfred Martin. In 1892, he left Switzerland with his brother James and settled in Paris. There, the brothers became friends with the poets Remy de Gourmont and Paul Fort and approached the circle of symbolists. In 1897, Pierre-Eugène was close to the wood engravers grouped around the magazine L'Image. From 1898, Vibert exhibited in Paris at the Salon of the National Society of Fine Arts. He is recognized by the critic Noël Clément-Janin who brings him closer to the art publisher Édouard Pelletan. In 1903, he was a founding member of the Salon d'Automne in Paris, where he also exhibited. In 1914, Vibert was appointed professor at the School of Fine Arts in Geneva. Thereafter he divided his time between Geneva and Paris. He lived at No. 31 route du Chêne Rogneux in Grosrouvre in the Yvelines department. His son Jean-Paul then set up an art printing press there, which continued to operate until 1995.