Benjamin-Constant: Marvels and Mirages of Orientalism

by Nathalie Bondil (Editor)

This fascinating book studies Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant (1845–1902), one of the great Orientalist painters of the Third Republic in France. Renowned during his time but little known today, Benjamin-Constant created massive architectural compositions based on travels to Spain and Morocco, in which he set fierce-looking Moors and dispassionate odalisques. His history paintings, based on stories from the Bible and Byzantine history, were the culmination of his ventures into Orientalism, and his sparkling palette resulted in wonderfully chromatic and beautiful works. Benjamin-Constant also stands out as one of the era’s great painters of decorative cycles, from his work in Paris at the Opéra Comique and the Gare d’Orsay, to the Capitole in Toulouse. Generously illustrated and written by an international team of specialists on late-19th-century French art, this is the first book to focus on this captivating figure, offering new and unpublished research into his life and practices in his studio and at the Paris Salon.

Genres: Art

400 pages, Hardcover

First published February 3, 2015

Reviews

[Mikey B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Favorite of the Emir
by Jean Joseph Benjamin Constant
142.2 x 221 cm (56 x 87 in.)
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

There are an enormous number of reprints of paintings of Benjamin-Constant in this impressive art book.

Many of the works are from his “Orientalist” phase. Orientalist in this case refers to Spain (Alhambra) and Morocco. Benjamin-Constant spent several months in these areas during the 1870s. Within the book, there are reviews of several of his major paintings – most of which centre on how they were perceived at the time of exhibition in Paris. There is one essay (I wish there had been more) that emphasizes how romantic, inaccurate, and voyeuristic these paintings could be. Most of the women depicted are in a languid posture, like in brothels or harems. Obviously, this is all part of the “male gaze”.

But be that as it is – one cannot but be overwhelmed, by not only the exotic locations and Benjamin-Constant’s technical abilities – but his use of colour. He was known as a master of colour. One sees this in the clothes, the abundant tapestries, and the many details within his paintings. Some of these paintings are on a huge scale. He had to make some in a special studio because they were so large.

He brought home with him from his visits - carpets, clothing and various bric-a-brac which he incorporated into his paintings. His studio in Paris was almost over-filled with these – as the pictures in the book show.

Later in life he travelled to England and North America (New York, Boston and Montreal) where he sold some of his paintings to the New World millionaires who acquired these to enhance their status and add to their immense collections. He networked with his many contacts to do portraits, for which he was well remunerated. Benjamin-Constant also taught art in Paris.

One aspect that has struck me in my readings of European artists is how students, such as Benjamin-Constant, were encouraged and instructed from a young age. Art was taken seriously and cultivated. It was seen as a key aspect of social development – not as a fringe pursuit.

The Orientalist phase faded after the death of Benjamin-Constant in 1902 (he was only 56). The book does not explain how it regained in popularity.

I give this book five stars for the many fine reproductions. The text could be overly academic in tone and repetitive (we are told several times that Benjamin-Constant detested the Impressionists).

This journey through the paintings of Benjamin-Constant is superlative. His works are mesmerizing.




Evening on the Terrace
by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
123 x 198.5 cm