The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 19, 2024
André Bénac
1936
(French, 1868–1940)
Unframed: 124 x 96.8 cm (48 13/16 x 38 1/8 in.)
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
In the final two decades of his life, Vuillard focused primarily on painting portraits of notable figures in finance, politics, art, and literature.Description
Vuillard belonged to the artistic movement called The Nabis, the Hebrew term for prophet. The Nabis banded together in the late 19th century to create a new artistic language based upon the expressive potential of decorative color and stylized forms. Vuillard's success as part of this group encouraged wealthy patrons to seek his services, but for more realistically rendered portraits. The present piece was requested by the Compagnie Parisienne de Distribution d'Éléctricité, the Paris company for which the sitter, André Bénac, was president. The commission was made to commemorate Bénac receiving the Grand Croix, the highest award of the Legion of Honor. Vuillard made two versions of the portrait-this one meant for Bénac and another one, now in Zurich, Switzerland, (see photo), to remain the property of the company. In each case, the sitter appears in his living room/office, and he holds an identical pose, showing the same warm, friendly smile. However, in the museum's portrait, Vuillard omitted a significant portion of the surrounding room and altered the format from horizontal to vertical. The viewer can focus more easily upon the man represented because the diagonal of the table has been cut closer to the sitter and no longer leads the eye away toward the window. Photo of: Vuillard. André Bénac, 1935-36; distemper on canvas; 51 in. x 61 1/2 in. Fondation Rau pour le Tiers-Monde, Zurich.- André Bénac, until his death in October 1937. His widow, Mme Bénac, until 1945. Their daughter, Mme Caudrelier-Bénac, and her husband. Louis Caudrelier-Bénac, their eldest son. London sale, Sotheby's, 7 April 1976 (70, repr.), Homme assis à son bureau, for £2,200 to William Pall, U.S. Gary Katz, Cleveland. Through Mitchell Shaheen (Brett Mitchell Coll., Inc., Lyndhurst, Ohio), on loan to the cma in 1977 as promised gift. Bought by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kaminsky, North Royalton, Ohio, 1980. Given to the CMA in 1981.
- Argencourt, Louise d', and Roger Diederen. Catalogue of Paintings. Pt. 4. European Paintings of the 19th Century. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1974. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 634-636, Vol. II, no. 222
- Monet to Dalí: Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 21, 2007-January 13, 2008).The Year in Review for 1981. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 17-March 21, 1982).Albi, Musée Toulouse-Lautrec. Exposition Édouard Vuillard (1868-1940): Peintures, Aquarelles, Dessins (1960), no. 88, Portrait de Monsieur Bénac, 1936, collection particulière, Paris.
- {{cite web|title=André Bénac|url=false|author=Edouard Vuillard|year=1936|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1981.63