ECR > > > | A47 LIBRARIES {THACA. N. Y 14853 THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS BY ALBERT BESNARD THEART-INSTITY TE Or HAO APRIL 25 TO MAY 11 1913 ALBERT BESNARD pare ALBERT BESNARD was born at Paris, June 2, 1849. His father was a painter, a pupil of Ingres; his mother a miniaturist, who studied under Mme. de Mirbel. His first master, an artist of great spirit, one Jean Brémont, a pupil of Ingres and an admirer of Delacroix, fitted him for the Ecole des Beaux Arts at Paris, where he worked in the studio of Cabanel. Subse- quently he wonthe Prix de Rome in 1874 with the picture ‘‘La Mort de Timophane, Tyran de Corinthe.’’ On December 29, 1879, he left the Villa Medici to marry the daughter of Dubray, the sculptor (herself an excellent artist in that line), and after a short time spent in Paris took up his abode near London. Here he spent two years and came much under the influence not only of the old English masters, but also of the modern school, the Pre-Raphaelite movement being then at its height. Returning to Paris, he received an order to decorate the vestibule of the Ecole de Pharmacie,—which he com- pleted in 1887,—a work which attracted great attention, and in which one can already see many of his most char- acteristic qualities. In 1886 he decorated the Salle de Mariage of the Mairie of the First Arrondissement, since when he has been busy almost constantly with mural decoration. Examples of his work are the decorations of the Hotel de Ville at Paris, the French Embassy at Vienna, L’ H6pital de Cazin at Berck, the house of M. Rouché at Paris, and the Comédie Francaise, not to speak of designs for stained-glass windows and the decoration of a piano. In all these works he shows varied talent, great originality, and a feeling peculiarly his own for color, mass, line, and harmony. While very young he started painting portraits, both before leaving for Rome and while passing through Paris on his way to London. In 1886 the portrait of Mme. Roger Jourdain, half in twilight, half in lamplight, made a profound impression. His chief portraits are those of his family, of Mme. Besnard, of her Imperial Highness, Princess Mathilde, of Mme. Alphonse Daudet, Mlle. George, Mlle. Dreyfus, Mme. Victor Duruy, M. and Mme. Chausson, MM. Henri and Denis Cochin, M. Frantz Jourdain, M. Sauer, Dr. Coppier, Mme. Réjane (1898), Senator Clark, Comtesse Pillet-Will, Miss Stephens, etc, M. Besnard takes great care in painting his portraits to study his models in motion and in their familiar attitudes, aiming to reproduce their characteristics of gesture and physiognomy and to catch, as it were, their moral and psychological likeness. Being much interested in light effects, reflections, colors in shadow, etc., he has done a great many pictures of the nude; the ‘“Woman Warming Herself,’’ at the Musée du Luxembourg; ‘““Baigneuses,’’ ‘“‘Femmes 4 Cascade,” and the ‘‘Féerie Intime,’’ etc., are examples. M. Besnard has travelled in Spain and Algiers, and in 1911 in India, and from each of these countries he has brought with him a great number of. paintings, —studies in which he depicts characteristic and striking scenes of the streets, the market places, and the dances, etc., all under the burning sunlight of the South. The series of Indian paintings shown in the spring of 1912 at Paris enjoyed an enormous success and some of the canvases figure in our exhibition. Such are, for instance, a re- markable series of sketches, water-colors, and traveller’s notes. M. Besnard has made about fifty engravings, of which we exhibit a great number. The cartoons, sketches, and drawings will show the artist’s method of work, and will make plain after what long training and conscientious study he produces his great works of mural decoration. Monsieur Albert Besnard has been a member of the Académie des Beaux Arts since 1912, and is a commander of the Legion of Honor. J. G. (The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.) The Art Institute of Chicago desires to express its thanks to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for its efforts in collecting the works of M. Besnard for this exhibition. PORTRAITS Portrait of Albert Besnard, aged eighteen years Lent by M. Henri Lerolle Portrait of Mme. Henri Lerolle and daughter(now Mme. Eugéne Rouart),1879 Lent by M. Henri Lerolle Portrait of the artist’s family Lent by M. Albert Besnard Portrait of Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Mathilde Lent by M. Albert Besnard Portrait of the engraver Coppier Lent by M. Albert Besnard Portrait of a child Lent by Mme. Lisle Woman with scarf (Unfinished portrait) Lent by M. Albert Besvard Portrait of Miss Stephens Lent by Mrs. Henry Stephens Portrait of M. Sauer Lent by M. Sauer 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 GENRE SUBJECTS, LANDSCAPES Church in London, 1880 Lent by M, Albert Besnard Horse fair at Hampoul, St. Firmin Lent by M. Albert Besnard Noon; women bathing Lent by M. Albert Besnard Bathers frightened by horses Lent by M Georges Petit Unloading fish at Berck Lent by M. Georges Petit View of the Lake of Annecy Lent by Le Musée du Luxembourg Algerian women Lent by M. Paul Jamot The man in pink Lent by M. Albert Besnard The Pass of the Langar Lent by M. Albert Besnard A street in Madura Lent by M. Albert Besnard 20 21 22 23 24 25 Ie 26 The Brahmin Lent by M. Albert Besnard The bracelet vender Lent by M. Albert Besnard The steps at Benares Lent by M. Albert Besnard The man with the yellow mask Lent by M. Albert Besnard PASTELS The album Lent by M. Albert Besnard Ariadne Lent by M. Albert Besnard SKETCHES For the Decoration of the Ecole de Pharmacie in Paris General view of the Gallerie du Vesti- bule (Right) Lent by the French Government 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 General view of the Gallerie du Vesti- bule (Left) Lent by the French Government The lesson in Botany Lent by the French Government The lesson in Mineralogy Lent by the French Government The lecture room Lent by the French Government The amphitheater Lent by the French Government Gathering the leaves Lent by the French Government Drying the leaves Lent by the French Government The laboratory Lent by the French Government Sickness (First idea) Lent by Mr. Walter Gay Sickness Lent by the City of Paris 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 The convalescent Lent by the City of Paris 2. For the Mairies of Paris The morning of life (Mairie of the Premier Arrondissement) Lent by the City of Paris Midday (Mairie of the Premier Arron- dissenient) Lent by the City of Paris Evening (Mairie of the Premier Arron- dissement) Lent by the City of Paris The 14th of July (Mairie of the Qua- triéme Arrondissement) Lent by the City of Paris Féte populaire (Mairie of the Qua- triéme Arrondissement) Lent by the City of Paris The marriage (Mairie of the XIV“® Arrondissement) Lent by the City of Paris 44 45 46 4? 48 49 50 Agriculture (Mairie of the XIV™® Ar- rondissement) Lent by the City of Paris The glorification of France (Mairie of the XIV™“® Arrondissement) Lent by the City of Paris Birth, school, marriage, death (Mairie of the XIX™* Arrondissement) Lent by the City of Paris 3. Lor Other. Public Buildings of Paris Truth, followed by the Sciences, sheds her light upon men (Sketch for a ceiling of the Hotel de Ville at Paris) Lent by the City of Paris Replica of the above, with variations Lent by M. Albert Besnard Matter (Sketch for the decoration of the cupola of the Petit Palais des Beaux Arts at Paris) Lent by M. Albert Besnard Thought (Sketch for the decoration of the cupola of the Petit Palais des Beaux Arts at Paris) Lent by M. Albert Besnard 51 52 53 54 55 56 Plastic Art (Sketch for the decoration of the cupola of the Petit Palais des Beaux Arts at Paris) Lent by M. Albert Besnard La mystique (First idea) (Sketch for the decoration of the cupola of the Petit Palais des Beaux Arts at Paris Lent by M. Albert Besnard La mystique (Sketch for the decoration of the cupola of the Petit Palais des Beaux Arts at Paris) Lent by M. Albert Besnard Apollo, with his rays, greets the statues of the poets (Sketch for the ceiling of the Comédie Fran- cais) Lent by M. Albert Bresnard Les idées (Sketch for the ceiling of the Museum of Dec- orative Arts at Paris) Lent by M. Paul Jamot CARTOONS FOR DECORATIONS Pain or Sin (L’ Hépital Cazin a Berck) Lent by the Musée du Luxembourg 57 The Operation, or Faith (L’ Hépital Cazin a Berck) Lent by the Musée du Luxembourg 58 Death (L’ H6épital Cazin a Berck) Lent by the Musée du Luxembourg 59 City of the future, or Redemption (L’ Hépital Cazin a Berck) Lent by the Musée du Luxembourg 60 Sickness (For the Ecole de Pharmacie in Paris) Lent by the City of Paris 61 The convalescent (For the Ecole de Pharmacie in Paris) Lent by the City of Paris DRAWINGS 62 Head of a woman, Rome, 1864 Lent by M. Paul Jamot 63 Portrait of Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Mathilde Lent by M. Albert Besnard 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 val 72 73 Portrait of Her Imperial Highness, the Princess Mathilde (Small sketch) Lent by M. Albert Besnard £ Woman sitting (Study) Lent by Mr. Walter Gay Studies of three women (For the Comédie Francaise) Lent by M. Albert Besnard Arab woman at her toilet Lent by M. Albert Besnard Two Arab women Lent by M. Albert Besnard Woman with long hair Lent by M. Albert Besnard Washerwomen at Trichinopoli Lent by M. Albert Besnard Indians (Two studies) Lent by M. Albert Besnard Two chisanes Lent by M. Albert Besnard Indians (Two studies) Lent by M. Albert Besnard 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 SKETCHES EN ROUTE Cairo, Egypt; Benares (Two frames containing leaves covered with sketches, water-colors, and notes) Lent by M. Albert Besnard PRINTS Reflections Full length portrait of a child (R. B.) The end of it all The two plumes In the embers Confidences Le déjeuner Claire The sofa Woman with a shawl 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 The arm chair Convalescence Illness Four studies Woman in black (Portrait of Mlle. X) Arab horses, and head of a horse Melancholy Despair Woman reclining Portrait of Mme. B. Portrait of Count Robert de Montes- quiou (For his book on Versailles) The phantom of the past (For the book on Versailles) The statue come to life (For the book on Versailles) 98 99 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 1il A group (For the book on Versailles) Toilette Profile Sketch of the nude Death Three veiled women Fishers of Berck Woman, one-quarter face Woman with a palette The Bi, at Villerville Series voluptés; conversation amour- euse Le coucher Le lever Léda au bain 112 113 114 115 Léda couchée Profile of a woman (Drypoint) SCULPTURE Bust of Albert Besnard, summer of 1912 (By his son, Philip Besnard) PHOTOGRAPHS Photographs of the decorative paintings in the dining room of the house of M. Rouché, Paris SS = + a