A CRITICAL EYE

 

The richness of this picture caught my eye, the attire of the two gentlemen’s flamboyant and rich fabric detailed costumes of that era, the casual poise in the ornate room, were a challenge for me to recreate or attempt to capture.

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by BERNARD LOUIS BORIONE 1865 – unknown

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Born in Paris in 1865, he was a pupil of his father, Guillaume-Marie Borione (1816-1887) a French genre and portrait painter, and of his mother, the artist Evariste Luminais 1822-1896, a historical and genre painter. Under their tuition, he developed his ability for finely painted works with highly detailed figures and interiors. During the 19th century people developed a vivid fascination for the past and this was particularly true in France where memories of the deposed monarchy were still strong and the political situation still volatile. Borione’s work is full of character and atmosphere while his use of colour adds richness to an already sumptuous interior. Artistes Francais and his works were as popular then as they are now.