Eugène Burnand
His final project was a series of 104 pastel portraits of allied WWI participants of all nationalities that was incomplete when he died; a unique body of work that was subsequently published as a book in 1922 and recently republished in 2010.
Eugene Burnand was a good living family man who kept detailed records of his life and work that facilitate a thorough understanding of his methods and motives.
His traditional style ensured a conventional appreciation that he and his family enjoyed, but brought some criticism and conflict with contemporaries who were embracing modern art.
His father was a forestry inspector who travelled considerably, invented the Prélaz-Burnand rifle in 1859 and had "the gifts and temperament of an artist, and drew and painted all his life as an amateur".
Seven months later they returned to Switzerland and set up residence in Schaffhausen, but meantime Eugène had done well at school in Florence and its artistic heritage had made a lasting impression on him.
His secondary education continued in Schaffhouse in German and in 1867 he somewhat reluctantly took his father's advice to study architecture at Zurich so he might have a reliable means of earning a living.
In 1877 he spent time in Florence and Rome but returned to France the following year when he married and settled in Versailles, acquiring new skills from the workshop of his wife's family, who were the well known painters and engravers Girardet.
[2] His move in late 1895 to a new rural residence at Fontfroide-le-Haut, a few miles from Montpellier, seemed to provide him with the environment and inspiration for a concentration on religious themes for his pictures, notably, 'Retour de l'enfant Prodigue (Return of the prodigal son) 1896-7', 'L'Invitation au festin (Invitation to the feast) 1899, and the picture by which he is now best known, 'Les Disciples Pierre et Jean courant au sépulchre le matin de la Résurrection', 'The Disciples Peter and John running to the sepulchre on the morning of the Resurrection' 1898, which is in the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
[1] Another large major picture with a religious theme was started in this period, "La Prière sacerdotale", done during a temporary move to Florence for the winter of 1900-1.
[1] Before he moved back to Switzerland in 1903 so his family could re-establish their Swiss roots, many other religious works were completed such as "Jésus à Béthanie (Jesus at Bethany)", "L'Invitation au festin (Invitation to the Feast)" and "L'Homme de douleur (Man of sorrow)".
The location in which he chose to live back in his native Switzerland was the village of Hauterive, close to Neuchatêl, in a large old house with a terrace with old trees, a setting that provided all the backdrops he needed for his "Les Paraboles"[3] project, that took him most of the four years he spent there.
The war years 1914-18 were spent back at Seppey, and there were many trips in the furtherance of painting projects to locations such as Monpellier, Marseille and Assisi where worked on the pictures for the book Little Flowers of St.
[4] He painted "Le samedi saint (Holy Saturday)" 1907-8, and prepared the cartoons for one of his most important works, the stained glass windows of the "Sermon on the Mount" 1910 in the Reformed church at Herzogenbuchsee, near Bern.
By 1900 Burnand was one of western Europe's foremost artists and his subsequent focus on religious themes, particularly 'The Parables', elevated him to popularity among the general public.
He was never very well known in the English-speaking world but has recently been reviewed well, and is being re-evaluated as an artist who was able to represent the soul of his country through cool, honest, and deeply insightful draughtsmanship.
[7] His picture of the "Disciples running to the Sepulchre" is finding a new appreciative audience[8] and the centenary of the First World War has generated interest in its art, to which Burnand made a large contribution and is getting new attention.
[1] Ceramics Illustrations Paintings Series of previous studies exhibited at La Granette, Lausanne 1912 Papers, publications Prizes and medals Decorations, titles and distinctions Salons Exhibitions, galleries People interested in Burnand may find a new publication of help as it is the first book about him in English focusing on the war portraits but also covering other works: Eugene Burnand.
