Officer Consulting the Map

Oil on panel, signed and dated: “1896”.

Sight size: 18” x 14”
Frame size: 27” x 22.75”

Berne-Bellecour was trained as an artist at the École des Beaux-Arts under Picot and F. Barrias. In addition, he studied under his father, Etienne Berne-Bellecour, Gerome, and Edouard Detaille. 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. His art was also on display at the Nationale des Beaux-Arts, and the Salon des Independantes from 1926-1939. Moreover, his paintings were part of exclusive private collections, such as General Pershing, Leblanc, Desmarais, Clemenceau, and Queen Alexandra. He was also named a Chevalier in the French Legion of Honor. Berne-Bellecour is listed in Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs by Bénézit.