Victor-François-Eloi Biennourry

Victor-François-Eloi Biennourry was an artist active across the middle of the 19th century, with his documented career spanning the years 1823 to 1852. His surviving oeuvre consists primarily of preparatory drawings and studies, suggesting a specialization in large-scale decorative and commissioned architectural projects, particularly those related to ecclesiastical decoration.

Five of his detailed drawings are represented in prestigious American institutions, cementing his place in 19th-century draftsmanship. These works are held in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art, confirming the museum-quality of his output.

Biennourry’s surviving studies document preparatory stages for significant commissions, demonstrating his attention to figure composition and architectural settings. These include Porta San Lorenzo, Rome, and A Woman Distributing Bread from a Basket: Study for "Feed the Hungry," in the Chapel of the Seven Corporal Works of Mercy (Les Oeuvres de Miséricorde), Church of Saint-Eustache, Paris. Planning for religious murals is further evidenced by Standing Soldier: Study for the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul in the Church of Saint-Séverin, Paris. The scope of his work also included dramatic figurative compositions, such as The Mocking of Christ, and figure studies like Study of a Soldier.

Today, researchers often access these documented works as high-quality prints. As historical documents and original works of art, many Victor-François-Eloi Biennourry prints are within the public domain and serve as important resources for the study of 19th-century French decorative arts.