Amélie Beaury-Saurel: A Forgotten Master of Portraiture
When discussing the great artists of the 19th century, names like Monet, Degas, and Renoir often take centre stage. Unfortunately, many remarkable artists, especially women, have been overshadowed by their male counterparts. One such artist is Amélie Beaury-Saurel (1849–1924) a French portrait painter known for her exquisite depictions of intellectuals, artists, and high society figures of her time.
A Life Dedicated to Art
Born in Barcelona in 1849, Amélie Beaury-Saurel was a gifted artist from an early age. She moved to Paris, where she studied at the prestigious Académie Julian, one of the few art institutions that welcomed female students in the 19th century. Her artistic training flourished in Paris under the guidance of some of the best teachers of the era, and she soon became known for her refined and highly detailed portraits in both oil paint and pastel.
(Musée Municipal - La Roche-sur-Yon, France)
Breaking Barriers in a Male-Dominated World
During the 19th century, female artists faced significant barriers in gaining recognition. Despite these challenges, Beaury-Saurel established herself as a respected portraitist, exhibiting regularly at the Paris Salon, one of the most important art exhibitions of the time. Her work was highly regarded for its elegance, realism, and emotional depth.
Her portraits often featured strong, intellectual women, reflecting her own independent spirit and belief in gender equality. This was no coincidence—she was married to Rodolphe Julian, the founder of the Académie Julian, where together their work in the school played a crucial role in promoting women’s education in the fine arts in 19th Century Paris.
Legacy and Recognition
Despite her success during her lifetime, Amélie Beaury-Saurel’s name faded from mainstream art history, a fate that many women artists of her era faced. However, recent efforts to rediscover female painters have sparked a renewed interest in her work. Today, her paintings remain valuable records of 19th-century portraiture, and she is recognised as an important figure in the history of women in art.
(Musée des Augustins - Toulouse)
(Musée des Augustins - Toulouse)
Our Special Antique Market Find
On one of our trips to the French Antique markets we can across a captivating pastel portrait. With all the dealers unpacking to start the trading day, we found this lovely pastel lined up next to a dozen others next to the truck waiting to be put on display. Before going into the market that day, we decided we were not buying Pastel portraits as we had quite a few already in the shop. I think that rule didn’t stand long, she was just too good. The dealer we were buying from nor us looked at the name on the pastel, we made a fair price for a lovely pastel portrait and were on our way. A few days later when coming back to Amsterdam and unpacking did we have a first look at the name and started doing some research on the signature, we where so delighted to read and learn about this incredible artist.
(Amsterdam Curated Personal Collection - Amsterdam)
The deeper we went into the story of Amélie Beaury-Saurel the more in love we were with her work. Knowing how she fought for women’s rights and equality in the Paris art schools of the 19th Century our new pastel became all the more special. We can see the little girl in the pastel is wearing a French Navel sailors uniform (Marine Nationale), which was incredibly popular fashion amongst boys in Paris at the time. It’s clear Beaury-Saurel was sending a message of women’s empowerment in this work. A work we feel is not only beautiful but also artistically important to the message it delivers. She now hangs on our wall and is one of our most cherished artworks in our personal collection.
Final Thoughts
Amélie Beaury-Saurel was more than just a portraitist—she was a pioneer who challenged societal norms and proved that women could excel in the competitive world of fine art. While her name may not be as widely known as some of her contemporaries, her work continues to captivate those who take the time to rediscover it.
As we continue to explore and celebrate the contributions of female artists, Amélie Beaury-Saurel deserves a place among the greats