Gustave Brion
Encyclopedia
Gustave Brion was born at Rothau
in the department of Bas-Rhin
in 1824, and in 1841 entered at Strasbourg
the studio of Gabriel Guérin, with whom he remained three years; he also received tuition from Andreas Friedrich
, the sculptor; but he soon afterwards went to Paris, where his first work appeared at the Salon in 1847; it was entitled 'Interior of a Farm at Dambach.' Six years later he gained a medal of the second class for his 'Schlitteurs de la Foret-Noire' and the 'Potato Harvest during an Inundation,' the former of which was subsequently burned at Strassburg by the Prussia
ns. His fame was further established by his 'Le Train de Bois sur le Rhin' in 1855, and from that time his works continued to
increase in public favour, and gained considerable praise and recompense for their author. Brion received numerous medals in 1853, 1863, 1867, 1868, &c., and the decoration of the Legion of Honour in 1863. He died in Paris in 1877.
With few exceptions, such as the 'Siege of a Town by Romans under Julius Caesar,' painted on commission for Napoleon III, and at the cost of much research to the artist, Brion rarely indulged in historical subjects. He delighted to represent peasants in their natural avocations: here they gather in their potatoes or chat by the village well; there they conduct barges laden with wood down the river; now we see them at a marriage, now hearing mass or attending a burial. Putting aside several subjects drawn from Normandy
and Brittany
, from the Basque Provinces
, and from a stay in Italy, Brion remained true to his love of
Alsace
, and it is of the doings of her peasantry that he tells us in his paintings. The following are his principal works:
Brion also illustrated 'Les Misérables
' of Victor Hugo
, and 'Notre-Dame de Paris' (see 'Flemish and French Pictures,' by F. G. Stephens).
Rothau
Rothau is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
in the department of Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin is a department of France. The name means "Lower Rhine". It is the more populous and densely populated of the two departments of the Alsace region, with 1,079,013 inhabitants in 2006.- History :...
in 1824, and in 1841 entered at Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
the studio of Gabriel Guérin, with whom he remained three years; he also received tuition from Andreas Friedrich
Wilhelm von Hanno
Andreas Friedrich Wilhelm von Hanno was a German-born architect, sculptor and painter most noted for his work in Norway.-Biography:...
, the sculptor; but he soon afterwards went to Paris, where his first work appeared at the Salon in 1847; it was entitled 'Interior of a Farm at Dambach.' Six years later he gained a medal of the second class for his 'Schlitteurs de la Foret-Noire' and the 'Potato Harvest during an Inundation,' the former of which was subsequently burned at Strassburg by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
ns. His fame was further established by his 'Le Train de Bois sur le Rhin' in 1855, and from that time his works continued to
increase in public favour, and gained considerable praise and recompense for their author. Brion received numerous medals in 1853, 1863, 1867, 1868, &c., and the decoration of the Legion of Honour in 1863. He died in Paris in 1877.
With few exceptions, such as the 'Siege of a Town by Romans under Julius Caesar,' painted on commission for Napoleon III, and at the cost of much research to the artist, Brion rarely indulged in historical subjects. He delighted to represent peasants in their natural avocations: here they gather in their potatoes or chat by the village well; there they conduct barges laden with wood down the river; now we see them at a marriage, now hearing mass or attending a burial. Putting aside several subjects drawn from Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
and Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, from the Basque Provinces
Northern Basque Country
The French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country situated within the western part of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques constitutes the north-eastern part of the Basque Country....
, and from a stay in Italy, Brion remained true to his love of
Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, and it is of the doings of her peasantry that he tells us in his paintings. The following are his principal works:
- Interior of a Farm at Dambaoh, Salon, 1847
- 'Schlitteurs' of the Black Forest, Salon, 1853
- Potato Harvest during an Inundation, Salon, 1852
- Wood-Barge on the Rhine (engravedEngravingEngraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
by Jazet), Paris ExhibitionExposition Universelle (1855)The Exposition Universelle of 1855 was an International Exhibition held on the Champs-Elysées in Paris from May 15 to November 15, 1855. Its full official title was the Exposition Universelle des produits de l'Agriculture, de l'Industrie et des Beaux-Arts de Paris 1855.The exposition was a major...
, 1855 - Burial in the Vosges, the same
- La Fête-Dieu, the same
- The Miraculous Well, the same
- Mountebank in the Middle Ages, Salon, 1857
- Gathering Potatoes (in the Nantes MuseumMusée des Beaux-Arts de NantesThe Fine arts Museum of Nantes is an art museum in Nantes, France.The museum was created in 1801 with the purchase of the Cacault collection and was located in is actual Palais des Beaux-Arts since 1900....
), Salon, 1857 - A Church Porch, Salon, 1859
- Burial on the Rhine, same
- The Skittle-Players, same
- A Protestant Marriage in Alsace (etched by Rajon), Salon, 1861
- The Wedding Feast (etched by Bellin), same
- The Blessing, London Exhibition1862 International ExhibitionThe International of 1862, or Great London Exposition, was a world's fair. It was held from 1 May to 1 November 1862, beside the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, London, England, on a site that now houses museums including the Natural History Museum and the Science...
, 1862 - The Pilgrims of St. Odile, Salon, 1863
- The End of the Deluge, Salon, 1864
- La Quète au Loup, same
- Reading the Bible in Alsace, Salon, 1868
- A Wedding in Alsace, Salon, 1874 (earlier drawing of the same image pictured)
- First Steps, Salon 1876
- The Réveil, Encampment of Pilgrims, Salon, 1877
Brion also illustrated 'Les Misérables
Les Misérables
Les Misérables , translated variously from the French as The Miserable Ones, The Wretched, The Poor Ones, The Wretched Poor, or The Victims), is an 1862 French novel by author Victor Hugo and is widely considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century...
' of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
, and 'Notre-Dame de Paris' (see 'Flemish and French Pictures,' by F. G. Stephens).