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Xavier Sigalon Paintings: The 9 Most Famous, Through a Gallery's Eye
Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 9 works by Xavier Sigalon in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Xavier Sigalon's most famous painting is Pentecost (1817). Portrait of the Artist (1825) and Antonio Pacini (1778-1866) (1823) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 9 works by Xavier Sigalon in our catalog, the gallery presents the 9 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
1787 – 1837, Uzès
Most works: Musée des Beaux-Arts
The gallery's top 10 Xavier Sigalon paintings
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The museums that keep Xavier Sigalon's originals
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Xavier Sigalon | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Musée des Beaux-Arts |
Nîmes | 4 | Adolphe Cartroux, Mrs Eugene Foulc, born Irma Nègre, Mr Eugene Foulc |
Xavier Sigalon, one signature painting per decade
Works per decade
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Xavier Sigalon's paintings: the gallery answers
Which Xavier Sigalon painting is the most famous of all?Reveal the answer
Pentecost (1817). Portrait of the Artist (1825) and Antonio Pacini (1778-1866) (1823) come next.
How old was Xavier Sigalon on completing Pentecost?Reveal the answer
30 years old: Pentecost dates from 1817, and Xavier Sigalon was born in 1787.
How many works did Xavier Sigalon create?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 9 works by Xavier Sigalon, dated from 1817 to 1833.
Where do Xavier Sigalon's most famous originals hang?Reveal the answer
Mostly in Musée des Beaux-Arts (Nîmes). The museum table above lists them all.
When did Xavier Sigalon create the most famous paintings?Reveal the answer
In 1830s: 4 of the 9 works on this page were made then, Adolphe Cartroux among them.
Which are Xavier Sigalon's earliest and latest famous works?Reveal the answer
On this page, the earliest is Pentecost (1817) and the latest Mrs Eugene Foulc, born Irma Nègre (1833).
Which Xavier Sigalon originals does the Musée des Beaux-Arts hold?Reveal the answer
Adolphe Cartroux, Mrs Eugene Foulc, born Irma Nègre and Mr Eugene Foulc: the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nîmes holds 4 of the works on this page.
Xavier Sigalon: the artist
The Form of a Romantic
Uzès holds the memory of a boy born to a poor rural schoolmaster in 1787. Xavier Sigalon moves toward Paris with difficulty, eventually finding his way into the studio of Pierre-Narcisse Guérin. The formal instruction provided there fails to satisfy him. Instead, he turns to the galleries of the Louvre, teaching himself by studying the Italian masters. This self-directed path shapes a painter who prioritizes the treatment of form over the use of color.
The year 1822 marks a sudden shift in his trajectory. He exhibits The Young Courtesan, a work that immediately attracts attention and is purchased for the Luxembourg. This success brings him into the spotlight of the Salon, yet his path remains marked by a tension between technical power and commercial appeal. His compositions, such as Locusta in 1824 and Athaliahs Massacre in 1827, possess an incontestable strength, even when they fail to find buyers.
The Weight of the Task
By 1831, Sigalon receives the cross of the Legion of Honour. His paintings are powerful in drawing and composition, but a lack of color prevents them from selling well. He finds himself forced into the humble labor of portrait painting to sustain his living. A significant change arrives in 1833 when Adolphe Thiers, then minister of the interior, recalls him to Paris for a monumental assignment.
Sigalon is entrusted with copying the Sistine fresco The Last Judgement for a hall in the Palace of the Fine Arts. The scale of the work is immense. He works alongside assistants, first François Souchon, whose departure follows a dispute, and later Numa Boucoiran. In Rome, at the Baths of Diocletian, he exhibits this gigantic work. The presence of Gregory XVI, visiting him in state, underscores the gravity of his achievement.
The Final Act
The end comes with suddenness. After carrying his copy of the fresco back to Paris in February 1837, Sigalon returns to Rome to attempt the pendants of the Sistine Chapel. He does not complete the task. An attack of cholera claims him on 18 August 1837.
- Key Works:
- The Young Courtesan (1821/1822)
- Locusta (1824)
- Athaliahs Massacre (1827)
- Vision of St Jerôme (1831)
- Crucifixion