François Bocion

Who was François Bocion?

François-Louis David Bocion, was a Swiss artist and teacher.

Born in Lausanne, Bocion studied art there before going to Paris, France in 1845 to study further. Following a bout with typhoid fever, he returned home in 1849. During the early part of his career, Bocion's interest was in the field of illustration as well as in painting historical subjects. However, influenced by the landscapes of Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, he began painting scenes from around Lake Geneva for which he is best remembered.

Bocion eventually secured a professorship at the Lausanne École Industrielle, a position he held for more than forty years. During his time there, Théophile Steinlen and Eugène Grasset, both natives of Lausanne, were his pupils and he encouraged them to expand their knowledge by moving to work and study with the burgeoning art community in Paris.