Étienne-Prosper Berne-Bellecour (29 June 1838 – 29 November 1910) was a French painter, printmaker, and illustrator. He was known for his

war art Military art is art with a military subject matter, regardless of its style or medium. The battle scene is one of the oldest types of art in developed civilizations, as rulers have always been keen to celebrate their victories and intimidate po ...

Biography

Berne-Bellecour was born on 29 June 1838 in Boulogne, France. He studied under

François-Édouard Picot François-Édouard Picot (; 10 October 1786 in Paris – 15 March 1868 in Paris) was a French painter during the July Monarchy, painting mythological, religious and historical subjects. Life Born in Paris, Picot won the Prix de Rome painti ...

and Félix-Joseph Barrias. He initially painted

landscapes A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the p ...

and

portraits A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this r ...

. He worked in photography to support himself while he studied. He also attended the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

and competed for the

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 ...

in 1859. Berne-Bellecour, along with his brother-in-law

Jehan Georges Vibert Jehan Georges Vibert or Jean Georges Vibert (30 September 1840 – 28 July 1902) was a French academic painter. Biography He was born in Paris, the son of engraver and publisher Théodore Vibert, and grandson of the influential rose-breeder J ...

, produced a comedic play titled "La Tribune Mécanique" which was performed at the

Palais Royal The Palais-Royal () is a former royal palace located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. The screened entrance court faces the Place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre. Originally called the Palais-Cardinal, it was built for Cardinal R ...

in 1862. He showcased his works at several Salons in the 1860s and later. He won a prize for photography at the Universal Exposition of 1867. In 1868, Vibert encouraged Berne-Bellecour to devote himself entirely to painting. Berne-Bellecour, Vibert,

Alexander Louis Leloir Alexandre-Louis Leloir (14 March 1843 – 28 January 1884) was a French painter specializing in genre and history paintings. Life and career Alexandre-Louis Leloir was born in Paris, France. He was born into a family with a rich artistic herit ...

, and Édouard Detaille went on a trip to Africa in 1870, later returning to serve in the Franco-Prussian War. Berne-Bellecour served in the

francs-tireurs (, French for "free shooters") were irregular military formations deployed by France during the early stages of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). The term was revived and used by partisans to name two major French Resistance movements set ...

and won a medal for gallantry under fire. His later works focused on military subjects. He also practiced as a sculptor and an

etcher Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

. He was named a Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor in 1878. Berne-Bellecour died in Paris on 29 November 1910. His son Jean-Jacques Berne-Bellecour (1874–1939) was also a military painter.

Gallery

File:Étienne Prosper Berne-Bellecour - Chemin creux sur les côtes de Normandie.jpg, '' Low Road on the Coast of Normandy'' (1864) File:Étienne Prosper Berne-Bellecour - The Lover.jpg, ''The Lover'' (1869) File:Étienne Prosper Berne-Bellecour - Soldiers resting.jpg, ''Soldiers resting'' (1883) File:Étienne Prosper Berne-Bellecour - L'Attaque.jpg, '' L'Attaque'' (1874) File:Brooklyn Museum - Picket Guards - Etienne Prosper Berne-Bellecour - overall.jpg, ''Picket Guards'' (1891)

References

External links

Étienne-Prosper Berne-Bellecour at the Art Renewal Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berne-Bellecour, Etienne-Prosper 1838 births 1910 deaths People from Boulogne-sur-Mer École des Beaux-Arts alumni Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur 19th-century French painters French male painters 19th-century French photographers 19th-century French sculptors 19th-century French male artists French male sculptors 19th-century war artists 20th-century French painters 20th-century French sculptors 20th-century French male artists French war artists French printmakers French illustrators French landscape painters French portrait painters French etchers French military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War