Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant

Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant was a French painter known for richly colored Orientalist scenes and, later, grand portraits. Born in Paris in 1845, he traveled in Spain and Morocco, and those journeys filled his early work with dramatic, sumptuous images of an imagined East, all vivid color, luxurious fabrics, and exotic settings. These scenes made him popular with the public of his day.

In his later career he turned increasingly to portraits of the wealthy and powerful, painted with polish and flair. Like other Orientalist painters, his exotic scenes are now viewed more critically for the fantasies they reflect. Benjamin-Constant remains a notable figure of the lush, decorative side of late nineteenth century French painting.