Léon Bonnat's most famous painting is Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (also known as La Lutte de Jacob) (1876). With Portrait of Isaac Dignus Fransen van de Putte (1822-1902). Colonial Minister (1863-66, 1872-74) (1879) and Self-portrait (1918) (1918), it completes the three works everyone recognises. Our catalogue lists 141 works by Léon Bonnat; the 100 below are the ones the world looks at most, each with its year, the museum that holds it and why it matters.
Rangordnet efter vores popularitetsscore, som kombinerer søgninger, besøg og ordrer for hvert værk. Opdateret oktober 2026. Every masterpiece on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, at the size you choose.
The work before us is titled Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, though it is frequently referred to by its French name, La Lutte de Jacob. This piece was painted by Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat in 1876. It is a significant example of the artist's engagement with religious narratives, rendered with a focus on the physical reality of the struggle depicted.
A single light source carves the face of Isaac Dignus Fransen van de Putte from a heavy, ink-black void. He sits with a rigid, vertical posture, his presence defined by the sharp contrast between a pale, starched collar and the deep shadows of his frock coat. The light catches the high ridge of his forehead and the steady gaze of a man accustomed to the gravity of statecraft. There is…
An elderly man sits within a frame of shadow and light. His face, etched with the textures of many years, turns toward the right while his eyes lock onto the viewer. A white beard descends in soft, defined strokes, catching the pale light that enters from the upper left. The background is a quiet expanse of ochre, burnt sienna, and deep umber, pressing close to the subject. He wears a…
A single figure stands in profile, caught in a moment of quiet stillness. The woman is draped in a gown of cool, light blue satin that catches the directional light from the upper left. This luminous fabric flows downward in heavy, sweeping folds, ending in delicate ruffles at the hem. Against the deep, warm umber and sienna tones of the background, the blue of her dress pulls the eye forward.…
The air in the chamber feels heavy, thick with the weight of a crown and the silence of a long-passed era. Standing before us, King Fruela II of Asturias commands the space with a stillness that feels almost monumental. He is draped in a mantle of deep, saturated crimson, a color so intense it seems to pulse against the dark, shadowy void behind him. This red is not merely a…
The room holds its breath as an elderly gentleman sits anchored in his chair. He is John Taylor Johnston, and the weight of his years settles around him in soft, muted tones. Light drifts in from the left, a gentle illumination that carves his features out of the surrounding shadows. It catches the silver of his beard and the subtle folds of his dark suit, lending a tangible volume to…
The Portrait of the count of Montalivet is an oil on canvas work by the French painter Léon Bonnat. It captures the likeness of Camille Bachasson, comte de Montalivet, a man who lived from 1801 to 1880. The painting was executed in 1878.
Léon Bonnat executed this oil on canvas in 1883, capturing the likeness of Levi Parsons Morton. The portrait presents the sitter in a formal, three-quarter length pose, establishing a sense of authority through a structured silhouette and a dark, atmospheric background. The composition focuses entirely on the subject, utilizing a directional light source from the upper left to define the facial features and hands against deep shadows.
This oil on canvas portrait, executed in 1864, presents a close-up view of Ceferino Araujo Sánchez. The subject is a man with a dark beard and mustache, positioned…
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This oil on canvas portrait, executed in 1896, presents a bust-length view of an elderly man positioned slightly off-center. The subject looks directly toward the viewer with a…
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In this intimate close-up bust view, "Self-portrait / Portrait of a young Man" by Léon Bonnat presents a moment of profound psychological stillness. The subject sits slightly off-center,…
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In this three-quarter length portrait, Léon Bonnat presents Anna L. R. S. Morton with a quiet, commanding presence. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, set against a dark…
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In this 1896 oil on canvas, we encounter Henry Field through a lens of quiet, academic dignity. The subject is presented in a three-quarter length view, his gaze…
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To stand before An Egyptian Peasant Woman and Her Child is to be transported across continents and decades, drawn into the quiet intimacy of a moment captured under…
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The Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat painting, Jules Grévy, is a masterpiece of French art from the 19th century. Created in 1880, this oil on canvas portrait is a…
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The four subjects that return most often among these masterpieces, with the finest example of each.
De 8 museer, der rummer flest af malerierne på denne side.
| Museum | By | Værker af Léon Bonnat | Malerier fra denne liste |
|---|---|---|---|
 Musée d'Orsay |
Paris | 15 | Portrait of a woman, Portrait of the count of Montalivet, Self-portrait / Portrait of a young Man |
 Petit Palais |
Paris | 8 | Sketch for the ceiling of the courtroom of the Cour des Assises of the Palais de Justice in Paris: Justice, Sketch for the courtroom of the Cour des Assises of the Palais de Justice in Paris: Justice protecting the weak, Portrait of Madame Georges Ehrler |
 Musée Bonnat-Helleu |
Bayonne | 7 | Self-portrait at the age of 17, Portrait of Marie Bonnat, the artist's sister, Begging scene |
 Walters Art Museum |
Baltimore | 6 | An Arab Sheik, Portrait of George Aloysius Lucas, The Hand of Antoine-Louis Barye |
 Hermitage Museum |
Sankt Petersborg | 4 | Portrait of Prince Viacheslav Tenishev, Fountain by the Cathedral of St. Peter in Rome, In the Mountains |
 Museo del Prado |
Madrid | 3 | Self-portrait (1918), Fruela II of Asturias (king of Asturias from 910 to 925), The painter Ceferino Araujo Sánchez |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 3 | John Taylor Johnston (1820 1893), An Egyptian Peasant Woman and Her Child |
 Musée Condé |
Chantilly | 3 | BERNIER LOUIS, PORTRAIT DU GENERAL HENRI D'ORLEANS, DUC D'AUMALE (1880) |
The air in the chamber feels heavy, thick with the weight of a crown and the silence of a long-passed era. Standing before us, King Fruela II of…
This oil on canvas portrait, executed in 1864, presents a close-up view of Ceferino Araujo Sánchez. The subject is a man with a dark beard and mustache, positioned…
The work before us is titled Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, though it is frequently referred to by its French name, La Lutte de Jacob. This piece was…
A single figure stands in profile, caught in a moment of quiet stillness. The woman is draped in a gown of cool, light blue satin that catches the…
This oil on canvas portrait, executed in 1896, presents a bust-length view of an elderly man positioned slightly off-center. The subject looks directly toward the viewer with a…
An elderly man sits within a frame of shadow and light. His face, etched with the textures of many years, turns toward the right while his eyes lock…
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (also known as La Lutte de Jacob) (1876). Next come Portrait of Isaac Dignus Fransen van de Putte (1822-1902). Colonial Minister (1863-66, 1872-74) (1879) and Self-portrait (1918) (1918).
43 years old: Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (also known as La Lutte de Jacob) dates from 1876 and Léon Bonnat was born in 1833.
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (also known as La Lutte de Jacob), Portrait of Isaac Dignus Fransen van de Putte (1822-1902). Colonial Minister (1863-66, 1872-74), Self-portrait (1918), ADAM ET EVE TROUVANT LE CORPS D'ABEL, Portrait of a woman, Fruela II of Asturias (king of Asturias from 910 to 925), John Taylor Johnston (1820–1893), Portrait of the count of Montalivet, Levi Parsons Morton og The Martyrdom of Saint Denis (also known as Martyr de Saint Denis). The ranking above gives the year and the museum of each.
Our catalogue lists 141 works by Léon Bonnat, dated from 1850 to 1918.
Most of them are in Musée d'Orsay (Paris), Petit Palais (Paris) og Musée Bonnat-Helleu (Bayonne). The table above lists the museums one by one.
In 1880s: 22 of the 100 works on this page date from then, among them Portrait of a woman.
The earliest on this page is Portrait of Louise Lienhard (1850), the latest Self-portrait (1918) (1918).
Man (10), Portrait (6) og Dark background (5), among the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas: 13 of the 100 works on this page.
Academic realism og Realism, as the paintings on this page show.
Portrait of a woman, Portrait of the count of Montalivet og Self-portrait / Portrait of a young Man are among the 11 works on this page held by the Musée d'Orsay, Paris.
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered as a museum-quality, hand-painted oil reproduction or a fine art print, in the size you choose, from the painting's own page.
Léon Bonnat blev født i Bayonne, Frankrig, i 1833 og gik bort i 1922. Hans tidlige år tog en interessant drejning, da hans familie flyttede til Madrid i 1846, hvor hans far etablerede en boghandel. Denne flytning viste sig at være afgørende for den unge Bonnats kunstneriske udvikling. Mens han hjalp til i butikken, kopierede han flittigt raderinger af værker fra de gamle mestre, hvilket nærede en dyb passion for tegning og lagde fundamentet for hans fremtidige karriere. Han modtog formel træning under Madrazo i Madrid, før han vendte tilbage til Paris.
I Paris søgte Bonnat yderligere forfinelse af sine færdigheder ved at studere under de fremtrædende historiemalere Paul Delaroche og Léon Cogniet. På trods af flere forsøg blev han ikke straks optaget på den prestigefyldte École des Beaux-Arts gennem Prix de Rome-konkurrencen. Dog gjorde et legat fra Bayonne det muligt for ham at tilbringe tre år i Rom (1858–60), en oplevelse der dybt prægede hans kunstneriske vision. I denne periode knyttede han venskaber med medkunstnere som Edgar Degas, Gustave Moreau og billedhuggeren Henri Chapu. Bonnats stil var stærkt påvirket af de spanske mestre – særligt Velázquez og Jusepe de Ribera – samt kunstnere som Titian og Van Dyck, hvis værker han studerede indgående på Prado-museet.
Bonnat etablerede sig hurtigt som en førende portrætmaler i Paris og modtog løbende bestillinger. Hans portrætter afspejler indflydelsen fra hans beundrede spanske forgængere og er karakteriseret ved realisme, dramatisk lyssætning og psykologisk dybde. Han udforskede også religiøse temaer og genremalerier, der skildrede italienske bønder, og begav sig lejlighedsvis ud i orientalistiske scener. Bonnats arbejde er kendetegnet ved en rå naturalisme og en mangel på overflødig finish, kvaliteter der blev rost af kritikere som Théophile Gautier, der satte ham positivt i kontrast til den mere polerede stil hos Bouguereau.
Gennem hele sin karriere opnåede Bonnat betydelig anerkendelse. Han modtog en æresmedalje i Paris i 1869 og blev udnævnt til Grand Officer af Æreslegionen. I 1882 blev han professor ved École des Beaux-Arts, hvor han underviste adskillige aspirerende kunstnere, herunder John Singer Sargent, Toulouse-Lautrec og Gustave Caillebotte. Han efterfulgte til sidst Paul Dubois som direktør for École i 1905. Bonnats pædagogiske filosofi lagde vægt på enkelhed, den overordnede effekt og stringente tegnefærdigheder. Hans vigtigste værker inkluderer religiøse malerier som Kristus på korset, Job og Sankt Vincent, der tager pladsen for to galgefanger.
Bonnat indtog en unik position i sin tids kunstverden ved at bygge bro mellem det akademiske maleri og den fremspirende impressionistiske bevægelse. Han var medlem af Instituttet og besad administrativ magt over både Akademiet og École des Beaux-Arts. På trods af denne tilknytning til de traditionelle institutioner støttede han uafhængige kunstnere som Edgar Degas og Auguste Rodin, og han forsvarede endda Gustave Courbets indsendelser til Salonen. Som et vidnesbyrd om hans taknemmelighed for den tidlige støtte grundlagde Bonnat Musée Bonnat i sin fødeby Bayonne, som huser en exceptionel samling af tegninger fra de gamle mestre side om side med hans egne værker. Hans eftermæle lever videre gennem hans malerier, hans indflydelsesrige undervisningsvirksomhed og det museum, han etablerede, som bevarer den kunstneriske arv for fremtidige generationer.
