Contemplation by firelight

Pierre Carrier-Belleuse, born Pierre Gérard Albert Carrier de Belleuse on January 28, 1851, in Paris, emerged as a distinguished French painter renowned for his evocative portraits of Opera dancers and his mastery of pastel. The son of the celebrated sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, Pierre's artistic journey began under his father's tutelage before advancing his studies with Alexandre Cabanel at the École des beaux-arts in Paris. His debut at the Salon in 1875 marked the start of a prolific career, earning him a mention honorable in 1887 and a silver medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle, which granted him hors-concours status. Carrier-Belleuse's oeuvre, predominantly focused on the feminine form, gained widespread acclaim, with his drawings of dancers frequently featured in Le Figaro illustré. A pivotal figure in the art world, Carrier-Belleuse joined the Société nationale des beaux-arts in 1890, becoming a sociétaire by 1893, and later presided over the Société internationale de peinture et de sculpture in 1895. His marriage to Thérèse Duhamel-Surville, a great-niece of Honoré de Balzac, in 1885, coincided with his exclusive shift to pastel, a medium that defined his later work. Beyond the studio, Carrier-Belleuse was an influential educator at the Académie Julian during the 1890s and a key participant in the Wissant artists' colony, drawing inspiration from the Opal Coast's landscapes. His legacy is commemorated by a plaque at his long-time residence in Paris's 17th arrondissement and his final resting place in Suresnes's Cimetière Carnot, alongside Laure Surville, reflecting his enduring connection to France's cultural heritage.