Constantin Guys

Constantin Guys (born Ernest-Adolphe Guys de Saint-Hélène, December 3, 1802 – December 13, 1892) was a French Crimean War correspondent, water color painter and illustrator for British and French newspapers.

His father had been appointed civilian chief of the French Navy in Rochefort in 1796 and was stationed in Vlissingen from 1800 until 1805, after which the family moved to Calais.

[1] Baudelaire called him the "painter of modern life," and wrote a long essay on Guys in which he extensively praised his works, under the pseudonym "Monsieur G".

[2] Robert de Montesquiou wrote a review[3] of Guys that acknowledged Baudelaire's essay, compared Guys favorably to Whistler, and emphasized his portrayal of details of women's clothing, and horse carriages.

In the Dutch novel "Au pair" by W. F. Hermans, one of the main characters is fascinated by Constantin Guys.