About the Artwork: She specialized in genre scenes, especially Near-Eastern and religious subjects. The nineteenth century saw a dramatic increase in Orientalist fascination, particularly in France. Her first Orientalist subjects exploded onto the French art scene in 1861, when she exhibited two paintings at the Paris Salon: Une Visite and Une Joueuse de Flute. These two paintings, possibly Browne's most famous works, are progressive paintings of the harem in Constantinople. The interest in everyday life and close observation of nature is characteristic of the French Realist movement emerged in the 1840s. Highest Sold Work: Since 2001 the record price for this artist at auction is $1,027,130 USD. | Name: Sophie de Bouteiller (pen name: Henriette Browne) Art Movement: French Realism, Orientalism Born: 1829 in Paris. Died: 1901. Main Medium: Painting About the Artist: Her marriage to Jules de Saux (secretary to a diplomat) in 1853, assured her introduction into diplomatic circles and facilitated her frequent travel to destinations such as Turkey, Morocco, Egypt and Syria. While many of her works have been lost to time; those that remain are a testament to the skill and sensibility of a painter who has largely been overlooked by history. Between 1851 and 1853, Sophie adopted the pseudonym Henriette Browne, the name of her maternal grandmother. With this pseudonym, Browne sought to keep her professional and personal life separate. Furthermore, by distancing herself from her artistic career, Browne wished to preserve her social standing, as it was not deemed appropriate at the time for a lady to also be a professional artist. |
Sources:
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/henriette-browne-824
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/henriette-browne
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O90601/a-girl-writing-oil-painting-browne-henriette/
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/henriette-browne-824
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/henriette-browne
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O90601/a-girl-writing-oil-painting-browne-henriette/