Claude-Charles Bourgonnier
Claude-Charles Bourgonnier was a French painter and lithographer. He exhibited regularly at the Salon, a prominent art exhibition in Paris, and was a silver medalist at the 1900 Paris Exposition. He was also commissioned to decorate several buildings in France. In his time, Bourgonnier was described as a successful genre painter and praised for his technique and well-researched compositions.
Biography
Bourgonnier was born in Paris in 1860. He was a pupil of the painters Alexandre Cabanel, Alexandre Falguière, and Jean-François Millet. He made his debut at the Salon, a prominent Parisian art exhibition, in 1881 with a genre painting entitled La Cigale et La Fourmi.'' He continued exhibiting his paintings at the Salon regularly thereafter. He received an honorable mention at the 1889 Paris Exposition and won medals for his work in 1890 and 1891, as well as a travel grant. In May 1892, Bourgonnier was barred from exhibiting art for a two-year period after tearing up one of his own paintings while it was on display. After his suspension, he won a silver medal at the 1900 Paris Exposition. In 1924, a writer described Bourgonnier as a successful genre painter and praised his technique and well-researched compositions.In addition to his exhibited paintings, Bourgonnier was also commissioned to adorn the walls and ceilings of several buildings in France. For example, he painted a fresco on the ceiling of the Ecole Nationale de la France d'Outre-Mer's library, as well as a smaller panel in the same room. In 1892, Bourgonnier won a design competition for the wedding area in the city hall of Montreuil, defeating Henri Matisse and Maurice Denis. Bourgonnier also practiced lithography; some of his subjects include scenes from World War I and studies of women and children. Bourgonnier was married to, who was also a painter. He died on 15 June 1921.