Etienne Prosper Berne-Bellecour 1838-1910

Etienne Prosper Berne-Bellecour (French, 1838-1910)

Soldier at Well, Oil on wood panel   $7,200.00 Canadian

Berne-Bellecour was trained as an artist at the École des Beaux-Arts under Picot and F. Barrias. A painter and illustrator, he began his career painting primarily landscapes and portraits. By 1868, he had turned his focus more toward genre scenes, a trend that gained further definition after his military service in the Franco-Prussian war. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Berne-Bellecour was a member of the French Franc-Pireurs or “Snipers of the Seine”. His military experience greatly influenced his choice of subject matter toward military genre scenes. For the remainder of the 1870s many of his clients were high ranking French officers. He was fortunate to achieve success and popular acclaim during his life. He exhibited at both the Salon de Paris and Salon des Artistes Français in 1900, 1903, 1904 and 1905. He was also named a Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor.