Amélie Beaury-Saurel
1848–1924 · French academic painter and portraitist
Amélie Beaury-Saurel (Barcelona, 1849 – Paris, 1924) was a French academic painter active in Paris under the Third Republic. She is best remembered as a portraitist, praised for capturing the character of her sitters faithfully, and for her efforts to open artistic training and professional careers to women. Born in Barcelona, where her family ran a carpet and tapestry business, she trained in Paris with Jean-Paul Laurens, and her teachers also included Tony Robert-Fleury and Jules Joseph Lefebvre.
She made her debut at the Paris Salon in 1874 and from about 1880 was regarded as one of its leading artists. She won a third-class medal at the 1885 Salon and a bronze medal at the 1889 Universal Exhibition. Her commissioned portraits, often shown at the annual Salons, earned praise from critics. Among her best-known works are the portrait of the feminist activist Séverine, the portrait of Léonce Bénédite, director of the Musée du Luxembourg, and «Dans le bleu» (1894), which shows a woman drinking coffee and smoking, often read as an image of the "new woman."
In 1895 she married Rodolphe Julian and took charge of the women's studio at the Académie Julian. After her husband's death she led the academy, becoming an emblematic figure in women's access to positions of responsibility. Her legacy lies in her support for other women painters and her defence of their right to education and professional careers. She died in Paris in 1924.
Works (2)
Portrait of Léonce Bénédite, seated, painted by Amélie Beaury-Saurel in 1923 in oil on canvas. It belongs to academicism and follows the conventions of portraiture, presenting the sitter in a restrained, composed manner. The work is held in the Musée d'Orsay.
Where to see the work
- Musée d'Orsay Paris · 2
Teachers and pupils
Studied with
- Jules Lefebvre 1836–1911
- Jean-Paul Laurens 1838–1921
- Tony Robert-Fleury 1837–1911
Curiosities
A family of manufacturers
According to the reference texts, the family lived earlier in Spain and Corsica. Once settled in Barcelona, from 1843, they ran a carpet and tapestry factory called «Saurel, Beaury y Compañía». In 1849 they also opened a shop on the Calle de la Montera in Madrid, a detail that shows the family's commercial activity before the painter turned to art.
A hidden self-portrait?
The sitter in «Dans le bleu» has never been identified with certainty. Rumours suggest the model might be the painter herself. The work, with its blue haze of smoke and relaxed gesture, has been read as a statement of emancipation. Since the claim is unconfirmed, it should be treated only as a hypothesis that has been raised.
A wary rival
The Russian painter Marie Bashkirtseff, also a student at the Académie Julian, referred to Beaury-Saurel in her writings as «l'espagnole» (the Spanish woman). She did so with a certain wariness, according to the sources consulted. The remark suggests that among the academy's students the Spanish-born painter already drew attention for her presence and work.