Albert Besnard

Albert Besnard, born June 2, 1849 in Paris and died December 4, 1934 in the same city, was a French painter. He entered the École impériale et spéciale des beaux-arts de Paris on March 20, 1865, where he studied with Jean-François Brémond, Sébastien Cornu and Alexandre Cabanel. Albert Besnard enlisted voluntarily during the 1870 war. He won the Prix de Rome in 1874 and arrived in Rome the following year. During his stay, he traveled to London, Venice, Florence and Naples. He left Rome on December 31, 1878. Albert Besnard was director of the French Academy in Rome from 1913 to 1921. During his tenure, several fellows were mobilized during the First World War. On his return to France, Albert Besnard was elected to the French Academy on May 4, 1924. No painter had been elected to the Academy since 1760, and he was director of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris until 1932.

1913-1921