Porte cuisine Château des roses, 1935

Yvonne Vonnot-Viollet, Yvonne “Vonnot” Viollet was born in 1883 in Le Havre, France. A French-Belgian landscape painter celebrated for her luminist and post-impressionistic style, she was affectionately known as “Vonnot,” a diminutive of Yvonne. It is rumored that she was the illegitimate granddaughter of the famed architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. Her early artistic training included studying under Jules Merckaert and, later, under Oswald Poreau, with whom she shared a close personal relationship.

Vonnot served as a model for the artist Privat Livemont, particularly for the sgraffito work on the façades of Voglerstraat 17 in Schaerbeek and Schoon Uitzichtlaan 79 in Ukkel. After the passing of the painter Alfred Ruytinx (Livemont’s nephew), she resided in his former studio at Voglerstraat 17, where she lived until her own death in 1936.

One notable work preserved in the Brussels-Capital Region’s Inventory of Movable Heritage is Oswald Poreau’s Portrait of the Painter Vonnot-Viollet, located in the municipality of Schaerbeek. This portrait captures both Vonnot Viollet’s character and her impact on Belgian art, reflecting the deep personal and professional connection she shared with Poreau.

Throughout her career, Vonnot Viollet developed a unique style that depicted the landscapes of Walloon Brabant, Liège, and Brittany—often collaborating with Poreau. Her works, celebrated for their vivid use of light and color, include a piece displayed at the Schaerbeek Town Hall.