Léon François Comerre (10 October 1850 – 20 February 1916) was a French academic painter, famous for his portraits of beautiful women and

Oriental The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

themes.

Life

Comerre was born in Trélon, in the

Département du Nord In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the Regions of France, administrative regions a ...

, the son of a schoolteacher. He moved to

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

with his family in 1853. From an early age he showed an interest in art and became a student of

Alphonse Colas Alphonse-Victor Colas (25 September 1818, Lille - 11 July 1887, Lille) was a French painter and art teacher. He specialized in portraits and religious art. Life and work He was the fifth of seven children born to Jean-Joseph Colas (1779–185 ...

at the École des Beaux-Arts in Lille, winning a gold medal in 1867. From 1868 a grant from the Département du Nord allowed him to continue his studies in Paris at the famous

École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in nor ...

in the studio of

Alexandre Cabanel Alexandre Cabanel (; 28 September 1823 – 23 January 1889) was a French Painting, painter. He painted historical, classical and religious subjects in the Academic art, academic style. He was also well known as a portrait painter. He was Napoleon ...

. There he came under the influence of

orientalism In art history, literature, and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world (or "Orient") by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle ...

. Comerre first exhibited at the

Paris Salon The Salon (), or rarely Paris Salon (French: ''Salon de Paris'' ), beginning in 1667 was the official art exhibition of the in Paris. Between 1748 and 1890 it was arguably the greatest annual or biennial art event in the Western world. At the ...

in 1871 and went on to win prizes there in 1875 and 1881. In 1875, he won the

Grand Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

for his painting "''L’Ange annonçant aux bergers la naissance du Christ''" (The Angel announcing the birth of Christ to the shepherds). This led to a scholarship at the

French Academy in Rome The French Academy in Rome (, ) is an academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio (Pincian Hill) in Rome, Italy. History The Academy was founded at the Palazzo Capranica in 1666 by Louis XIV under the dire ...

from January 1876 to December 1879. In 1885 he won a prize at the "Exposition Universelle" in

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

. He also won prestigious art prizes in the USA (1876) and Australia (1881 and 1897). He became a Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1903. He exhibited in London at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

and the

Royal Society of Portrait Painters The Royal Society of Portrait Painters is a charity based at Carlton House Terrace, SW1, London that promotes the practice and appreciation of portraiture art. Its Annual Exhibition of portraiture is held at Mall Galleries, and it runs a commi ...

, and in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

at the

Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (RGI) is an independent organisation in Glasgow, founded in 1861, which promotes contemporary art and artists in Scotland. The institute organizes the largest and most prestigious annual art exhibiti ...

.Short Biog
(Jeffery Winter Fine Arts). In 1884, he moved to Vésinet, a suburb of Paris, where he remained until his death in 1916. His wife

Jacqueline Comerre-Paton Jacqueline Comerre, née Paton (1 May 1859 – 1955) was a French painter and sculptor, and the wife of the painter Leon Comerre, Léon-François Comerre (1850-1916). Comerre-Paton was born in Paris. Her mother was Émilie-Thérèse Paton (1820 ...

was also a painter. His nephew was the renowned artist

Albert Gleizes Albert Gleizes (; 8 December 1881 – 23 June 1953) was a French artist, theoretician, philosopher, a self-proclaimed founder of Cubism and an influence on the School of Paris. Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger wrote the first major treatise on ...

. A catalogue raisonné of Comerre's work was published in 1980 by Les Presses Artistiques, Paris.

Major works

*1875: ''L'Annonce aux bergers'' *1878:'' Jézabel dévorée par les chiens'' *1878: ''Junon'' *1879: ''Le Lion amoureux'' *1880: ''Portrait de Jeune Fille'' *1881: ''Samson et Dalila'' *1882: ''Albine morte'' *1882: ''L' Étoile'' *1883: ''Silène et les Bacchantes'' *1883: ''Portrait de Mademoiselle Achille Fould'' *1884: ''Madeleine'' *1884: ''Pierrot'' *1888: ''Le Printemps, le Destin et l'Hiver'' (triptyque) *1903: ''À bicyclette au Vésinet'' File:Comerre, Leon Francois; The Pretty Maid.jpg, ''The Pretty Maid'' File:Comerre Leon Francois The Favorite.jpg, ''The Favorite'', private collection File:Comerre Leon Francois Portrait Of The Ballerina Rosita Mauri.jpg, ''Portrait Of The Ballerina Rosita Mauri'' File:Comerre Leon Francois Portrait of Suzanne Hudelo Oil On Canvas.jpg, ''Portrait of Suzanne Hudelo'' File:Léon-François Comerre - l'Odalisque au tambourin.jpg, ''L'Odalisque'' File:Comerre-Pierrot jouant de la mandoline-Musée de Gap.jpg, ''Pierrot'' playing the

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

File:Odalisque by Léon Comerre.jpg, ''L'odalisque à l'éventail''

Notes

External links

Biog of Leon Comerre
(askart.com)
Paintings by Leon Comerre
(Art Renewal Center Museum) {{DEFAULTSORT:Comerre, Leon 19th-century French painters 20th-century French painters 20th-century French male artists 1850 births 1916 deaths Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery French male painters Prix de Rome for painting French Orientalist painters 19th-century French male artists