Son of painter and enameller Claudius Popelin (1825-1892), Gustave Popelin
received early guidance from Ernest Hébert. He entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1879, working in the studios of Gabriel Ferrier and Eugène Giraud. In 1882, he won the Prix de Rome with Mattathias refusant de sacrifier aux idoles (Mattathias refusing to sacrifice to idols) (1).
He took part in the Salon des Artistes Français from 1880 to 1911, where he exhibited portraits and history paintings. He was also a photographer. A huge collection of his photographs is preserved at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.
Perhaps this last technique is responsible for the bold angle chosen for our three- quarter-back portrait. Like a snapshot, the sitter is captured rather than posed, as if this were all done without his knowledge.
Popelin’s pastel virtuosity lends softness and velvety texture to this “hyper-realistic”
image.
I Paris, École des Beaux-Arts.
