Poppies. Jean Benner

Title: Poppies. Gouache on paper
Signed lower right
(New Frame)

Jean Benner was born on March 28, 1836 in Mulhouse, in the Alsace region of eastern France. Born into a family of artists, he was the twin brother of Emmanuel Benner, also a painter, whose portrait he painted. Jean began his artistic training with his father, also named Jean Benner, an artist of Swiss origin who was influenced by the Dutch masters and who worked most exclusively with drawings and paintings of flowers.

Benner began his public career at the Salon in 1859 where he exhibited Fleurs (Flowers). His early work shows Benner’s interest in still-lifes and portraits, but he should be mostly remembered for his views of Italy, especially that of the island Capri.
Presumably between 1867 and 1868 Benner set up residence in Capri, In 1869, he had returned to Paris and exhibited again at the Salon but from 1870 to 1877 he divided his time between Capri and Paris.
Benner continued to submit his work regularly to the Salon, almost each exhibition inspired at least in part by his voyages in Italy. In 1879, he became “hors concours” which provided him entry into the Salon without the necessity of jury acceptance. He was named a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1894 and also became a member of the Société des Artistes Français.
By the time of his death in 1909, Jean Benner had established himself as a serious academic painter who contributed regularly to the Salons.
The largest portion of Benner’s work can now be found in the Mulhouse Musée des Beaux Arts, as well as the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire in Belfort.