Etienne Mein’s brushstrokes linger. Here on Rue Etienne Mein in Marseille we stand where his legacy lives. This quiet street whispers stories of a prominent Marseille artist. Etienne Joseph Mein was born in Allauch in 1865. He died in Marseille in 1938. His life was dedicated to art. He was a painter and engraver.
Mein’s early years were shaped by his family’s connection to the sea. His father worked for the Compagnie de navigation mixte. His grandfather was a sailor. The family lived in the Panier district. Their home on Rue des Ferrats was demolished during the occupation. He apprenticed with a engraver named Gerard. This apprenticeship lasted three years. He then studied at the Marseille School of Fine Arts. There he excelled winning a first prize in painting.
After his formal training he gave drawing lessons in several Marseille schools. He transformed a large space into his studio. This was located on the third floor of a building on the Quai de Rive Neuve. He exhibited his work. His painting Le Grand Pere was showcased at the 1893 Salon in Paris. A visit to the Louvre profoundly impacted him. He became a member of the Societe des artistes marseillais in 1896. Later he joined the Societe des artistes francais in 1900. He even displayed works at the 1906 Marseille Colonial Exposition. His paintings included Moutons en Provence and Castillan. He also showed an etching Portrait du peintre Antoine Vollon.
Mein’s artistic journey continued. He taught. He exhibited in Narbonne Carcassonne and Tunis. He received an honorable mention for Coin de table in 1920. He moved his family to a villa in the Bompard district. This was in 1914. He later became a drawing and modeling professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Marseille. He found inspiration in Porquerolles. He wrote about the powerful nature and strength of the island in 1936.
His works are in various collections. Some are in the Musee Gassendi in Digne-les-Bains and the Musee des Beaux-Arts and Musee Cantini in Marseille. His paintings are sought after by collectors. His legacy lives on in his art. And here on Rue Etienne Mein his spirit remains. We’re walking in the footsteps of a master.