Léon Bonnat

Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (1833-1921) "was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur, art collector and professor at the École des Beaux Arts" according to his Wikipedia entry.

Born in Bayonne, France, near the Spanish border, he lived in Madrid aged 13 to 20 where he learned a good deal about Spanish artists and their works.  Perhaps this early familiarity might have led to his use of black and other dark colors in many of his own paintings.

The entry also notes that Bonnat earned a good living painting portraits.  However, in today's post I focus mostly on some of his other subjects.

Gallery

Fille romaine à la fontaine - 1875
A well-known painting because it's in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Vues de Rome
He studied in Rome 1858-1860 before moving on to Paris.

Jeune femme faisant la charite a l'entree de la chapelle de l'hopital San Sebastian a Cordoue
He painted many religious subjects.

Un salon de coiffure oriental - 1872
He traveled in northern Africa, so dabbled in Orientalism.  Here, a barber shop scene.

Self-Portrait - 1885

Portrait of a Young Girl - 1889

Standing woman

The Crucifixion (Christ on the Cross)
Convincing stress on agony.