Gazing on paintings by the nineteenth-century artist, Jacques Joseph Tissot (1836-1902), even the casual observer cannot fail to be struck by their depth, vibrancy and sheer joie de vivre! Just look at paintings like Holyday (The Picnic) or Young Lady in a Boat. Tissot was a French artist who lived, for a time, in London making rich and intricate studies of well-dressed late Victorian ladies. Sporting vibrant silks of emerald green, jasmine whites, pale pinks and tasteful checks, adorned with bustles, bows, bonnets and white gloves, we can almost catch the aroma of their perfume! 
In these paintings hair is set both elegant and elaborate, depicting the latest styles: the Victorian 3-braid, bun or chignon, large curls, ringlets or simple knot.
But Tissot is concerned with more than outward form. His paintings convey the depths of human feeling and emotion as well the complexity of relationships. This is particularly reflected in paintings like A Passing Storm – two people gaze in different directions, storm clouds gather and outside there is a messy complexity of ships’ rigging, weaving in different directions, mirroring the relationships depicted. What is it that makes Tissot’s paintings beautiful? Is it the shape, form, colour – or any combination of these, or is it the masterful study of human nature? It’s striking that it is all these things and yet more… What ‘more’ might that be?
It goes without saying that we all have individual tastes, our likes and dislikes – some will be drawn to a Tissot or a Lowry, others not. There are different genres, just as there are different types of people. Vive la difference! But pure beauty has a universal and undisputed appeal – there is an immediacy, an attracting power which leaves us transfixed. From the outer, we move through different doorways to the warm hearth within; from the visual and audible, from texture and perfume to the inner powerhouse which is the idea – the beating heart of the creation. 
Interested in exploring the theme of Beauty further? Do take a look at our seven-part course: Walking the Path of Living Beauty – Exploring Beauty and the Beautiful. It’s self-paced, so you can take each session at any time. Photo credit: James Tissot, Wikimedia Commons, A Passing Storm, Young Lady in a Boat, On The Thames.
