Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant

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1879 The Favorite of the Emir Jean Joseph Benjamin Constant

Jean Joseph Benjamin Constant, also written Benjamin-Constant, (1845-1902) was a French historical and portrait painter.

[edit] Life

He was born in Paris, June 10, 1845, studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he was also a pupil of Cabanel. A journey to Morocco in 1872 strongly influenced his artistic development. Among his chief Oriental scenes are the "Last Rebels" and "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" (Toulouse Museum), received a medal in 1876.

After 1880 he changed his manner, devoting himself to mural decorations and to portraits. His mural decorations are in cities of France; prominent examples are a great plafond in the Hôtel de Ville, Paris, entitled "Paris Convoking the World," his paintings in the New Sorbonne, representing "Literature," "The Sciences," and the "Academy of Paris," and the plafond of the New Opéra Comique. He was distinguished as a portrait painter, especially in England, where he was a favorite of the aristocracy. A good example of his portraiture is "Mons Fils André" (Luxembourg), which took the medal of honor at the Salon in 1896.

He painted Pope Leo XIII and Queen Alexandra of England (1901); Lord Savile and M. de Blowitz (1902). Constant was made a member of the Institute in 1893, and was a commander of the Legion of Honor. He visited the United States several times, and painted a number of portraits. The Metropolitan Museum of New York possesses a large mural decoration by Constant representing "Justinian in Council." Constant was a writer of repute, having contributed a number of studies on contemporary French painters.

[edit] Publications

Stranahan, Modern French Painters (New York, 1893)
This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.