Carolus (Charles Auguste Emile) Duran Paintings

Charles Auguste Émile Durand, known as Carolus-Duran, was a French painter and art instructor born on July 4, 1837, in Lille. He is best known for his stylish depictions of members of high society in Third Republic France and for his role as an influential teacher.

Carolus-Duran studied at the Lille Academy and later at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was greatly influenced by Spanish and Flemish masters, particularly Diego Velázquez, whose approach to painting he sought to emulate. He achieved recognition in 1861 when his work 'The Murdered Man' was exhibited at the Salon in Paris, and he won a second-class medal for his painting 'Lady with a Glove' in 1869, a portrait of his wife, which became one of his most famous works.

Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, Carolus-Duran's reputation as a portraitist grew. His elegant and sophisticated style was much in demand by the Parisian elite, including politicians, artists, and writers. This led to commissions for official portraits, including that of French president Léon Gambetta.

In addition to his portrait work, Carolus-Duran was also interested in decorative arts and was commissioned to create large-scale murals, such as those for the Hôtel de Ville, Paris.

As an educator, Carolus-Duran was equally influential. In 1889, he co-founded the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts and became the director of the French Academy in Rome in 1905. He taught at the Académie Julian in Paris, where he instructed a generation of international artists, including the young American painter John Singer Sargent, who would also become a renowned portraitist.

Carolus-Duran's impact on the art world was significant, both for his own work and for his influence on his pupils. He was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1872 and became a commander in 1889. His work can be found in major museums around the world. Carolus-Duran passed away on February 17, 1917, in Paris, leaving behind a legacy as one of the leading figures in 19th-century French art.