The Menu by Francois Brunery
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A charming and beautiful cardinal painting by Francois Brunery
Key Features
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- An incredibly detailed and delightfully comical composition by French genre artist Francois Brunery
- Brunery was a master of exposing the human, often humorous, side of the clergy
- His compositions are both engaging and technically stunning
- Signed "F.Brunery" (lower right); Oil on panel
- Panel 24" high by 19 1/2" wide
Item Details
- Width:
P:19 1/2" Inches - Height:
P:24" Inches - Period:
19th Century - Origin:
France - Subject:
Religious - Artist:
Other
François Brunery
1849-1926 · French
The Menu
Signed
Oil on panel
The struggle to concoct a perfect menu is the comical narrative Brunery explores in this fantastic composition, entitled The Menu . As the dutiful chef pores over his cookbook, perhaps reciting a recipe, the cardinal seated next to him gazes off in the distance, his raised quill and quizzical facial expression suggesting the chef's suggestions are not being well-received.
Leaving his native hometown of Turin, Italy, around 1860 to pursue artistic study in Paris, Brunery soon joined the studios of Academic masters Jean Léon-Gérôme and Léon Bonnat. Seemingly destined to be a painter of such similarly classical scenes, Brunery instead began experimenting with anecdotal paintings, a subset of which became known as Cardinal paintings. Exposing the human nature of these otherwise revered clergy, Brunery's compositions like The Menu also showcased an incredible attention to detail, wherein all elements of the composition received an equal level of finesse to create visually spectacular scenes.
As his career progressed, Brunery experienced great success in this under-appreciated field, and by 1890 he was enjoying international acclaim for his works, including a strong following in the United States that continued into the 20th century.
Panel 24" high by 19 ½" wide
Provenance:
Private Collection, California
Rehs Galleries, New York City
Artist's Exhibitions:
Paris Salon, 1903
References:
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs ,1976, E. Bénézit
Davenport's Art Reference, 1994, R.J. Davenport
Popular 19th-Century Painting, A Dictionary of European Genre Painters, 1986, Philip Hook and Mark Politmore
Nineteenth-Century European Painting from Barbizon to Belle Époque , 2012, William Rau
1849-1926 · French
The Menu
Signed
Oil on panel
The struggle to concoct a perfect menu is the comical narrative Brunery explores in this fantastic composition, entitled The Menu . As the dutiful chef pores over his cookbook, perhaps reciting a recipe, the cardinal seated next to him gazes off in the distance, his raised quill and quizzical facial expression suggesting the chef's suggestions are not being well-received.
Leaving his native hometown of Turin, Italy, around 1860 to pursue artistic study in Paris, Brunery soon joined the studios of Academic masters Jean Léon-Gérôme and Léon Bonnat. Seemingly destined to be a painter of such similarly classical scenes, Brunery instead began experimenting with anecdotal paintings, a subset of which became known as Cardinal paintings. Exposing the human nature of these otherwise revered clergy, Brunery's compositions like The Menu also showcased an incredible attention to detail, wherein all elements of the composition received an equal level of finesse to create visually spectacular scenes.
As his career progressed, Brunery experienced great success in this under-appreciated field, and by 1890 he was enjoying international acclaim for his works, including a strong following in the United States that continued into the 20th century.
Panel 24" high by 19 ½" wide
Provenance:
Private Collection, California
Rehs Galleries, New York City
Artist's Exhibitions:
Paris Salon, 1903
References:
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs ,1976, E. Bénézit
Davenport's Art Reference, 1994, R.J. Davenport
Popular 19th-Century Painting, A Dictionary of European Genre Painters, 1986, Philip Hook and Mark Politmore
Nineteenth-Century European Painting from Barbizon to Belle Époque , 2012, William Rau
