"a pair of pike" by Alexandre François Bonnardel

"a pair of pike" by alexandre françois bonnardel (1867-1942) lyonnaise school oil on canvas 46 X 55 X 2 cm (slight chip at the bottom right of the signature and slight scratches) alexandre françois bonnardel is a french painter of the lyonnaise school. Born in pajay (isère) on september 6, 1867 and died in lyon (rhône) on december 21, 1942. He enrolled in 1891 at the national school of fine arts in lyon. During his studies, his talents were quickly recognized and he became a student of jean-baptiste poncet and antoine christian zacharie. Under the tutorship of poncet and zacharie, he exhibited for the first time at the salon des beaux-arts in lyon in 1895. From 1900 to 1918, he was a professor of the class of living models at the lyon fine arts. He resigns from this prestigious position because of an affair with a student. He exhibited at the salon throughout his career. In 1899, he received the 1st prize medal at the salon des beaux-arts in lyon. Alexandre françois bonnardel also exhibited at the salon des artistes français, he obtained an honorable mention in 1909. His outdoor impressionist scenes and his portraits of elegant women were admired during his lifetime and retained their reputation. He mainly paints portraits and genre scenes, as well as still lifes. But also likes to draw and engrave traditional figures of lyon puppetry on the theme of guignol, gnafron and madelon. He also created sets for the guignol theater, notably squares in the city of lyon including the famous place de la trinité. Bonnardel's paintings are part of the permanent collection of the musée des beaux-arts de lyon. With his wife marcelle bonnardel, also a painter, they live on rue pierre dupont in saint-cyr-au-mont-d'or.

Ref. : KCPDGSCQ