Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (also known as Benjamin-Constant), born Jean-Joseph Constant (10 June 1845 – 26 May 1902), was a French painter and etcher best known for his

Oriental The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the ...

subjects and portraits.

Biography

Benjamin-Constant was born in Paris. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse, where he was a pupil of Alexandre Cabanel. A journey to Morocco in 1872 strongly influenced his early artistic development and lead him to produce

Romantic Romantic may refer to: Genres and eras * The Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement of the 18th and 19th centuries ** Romantic music, of that era ** Romantic poetry, of that era ** Romanticism in science, of that e ...

scenes under the spell of

Orientalism In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world. These depictions are usually done by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. In particular, Orientalist p ...

. Among his noted works in this vein are ''Last Rebels'', ''Justice in the Harem'' (both in the Luxembourg Gallery), ''Les Chérifas'', and ''Moroccan Prisoners'' (Bordeaux). His large canvas, '' The Entrance of Mahomet II into Constantinople'' (Musée des Augustins Toulouse), received a medal in 1876. After 1880, he changed his manner, devoting himself to mural decorations and to portraits. Prominent examples include the great plafond in the Hôtel de Ville, Paris, entitled ''Paris Convening the World''; his paintings in the New Sorbonne, representing ''Literature'', ''The Sciences'', and the ''Academy of Paris''; and the plafond of the Opéra Comique theatre. He was distinguished as a portrait painter, especially in England, where he was a favorite of the

aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocracy (class), aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At t ...

. His portrait ''Mons fils André'' (Luxembourg) was awarded a medal of honor at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

in 1896. Benjamin-Constant painted Pope Leo XIII, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom (1901), Lord John Lumley-Savile, and

Henri Blowitz Henri Georges Stephane Adolphe Opper de Blowitz (28 December 182518 January 1903), previously Heinrich Opper and also known as Heinrich Opper von Blowitz, was a Bohemian journalist. Biography Blowitz began life as Heinrich Georg Stephan Adolf Op ...

(1902). He was made a member of the institute in 1893, and was a commander of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. He visited the United States several times, and painted a number of portraits. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York exhibited a large painting by Benjamin-Constant entitled ''Justinian in Council''. The painting was returned by the Metropolitan to the owners family in 1928. It was purchased by John Ringling in 1929 and is currently on exhibit in the Ringling Museum in Sarasota Benjamin-Constant also taught at

Académie Julian The Académie Julian () was a private art school for painting and sculpture founded in Paris, France, in 1867 by French painter and teacher Rodolphe Julian (1839–1907) that was active from 1868 through 1968. It remained famous for the number a ...

; among his pupils was the miniaturist Alice Beckington and the Scottish artist W. S. Shanks. He was a writer of repute, contributing a number of studies on contemporary French painters. Along with fellow artists,

Nasreddine Dinet Nasreddine Dinet (born as Alphonse-Étienne Dinet on 28 March 1861 – 24 December 1929, Paris) was a French orientalist painter and was one of the founders of the Société des Peintres Orientalistes ociety for French Orientalist Painters He b ...

, Paul Leroy, Jean-Léon Gérôme and curator/ art historian, Léonce Bénédite, he was one of the founders of the Société des Peintres Orientalistes Français.Benjamin, R., ''Orientalist Aesthetics: Art, Colonialism, and French North Africa, 1880-1930,'' University of California Press, 2003, p.57 He died in Paris on 26 May 1902.

Gallery

Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant - Arabes assis.jpg, ''Arabes assis'' (1877)
Benjamin-Constant-Arabian Nights.jpg, ''Les nuits arabes''
1879 Benjamin-Constant - Favorite of the Emir.jpg, ''La favorite d'émir'' (1879)
Judith MET DT2818.jpg, ''Judith''
Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant - Marchand de tapis à Tanger.jpg, ''Marchand de tapis à Tanger'' (1883)
Benjamin-Constant-The Entry of Mahomet II into Constantinople-1876.jpg, ''Entrée de Mehmed II dans Constantinople'' (1876)
Jean-Joseph Benjamin Constant-Reclining Odalisque.jpg, Reclining Odalisque
Capitole Toulouse - Salle des Illustres - L'entrée à Toulouse du pape Urbain II en 1096 par Benjamin Constant.jpg, ''Entrée du Pape Urbain à Toulouse''

Publications

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Benjamin-Constant, Jean-Joseph 1845 births 1902 deaths 19th-century French painters 20th-century French painters 19th-century French male artists 20th-century French male artists Academic art Commandeurs of the Légion d'honneur French male non-fiction writers French male painters French biographers Académie Julian faculty Members of the Académie des beaux-arts Orientalist painters

Biography

Gallery

See also

Publications

References

External links