BENNER Jean - The Universal Exhibition of 1878 Jean & Emmanuel B

The alsatian artists Jean Benner (1836-1906) and Emmanuel Benner (1836-1896), twin brothers, collaborated exceptionally for the realization of this masterful work carried out in tribute to this event of world audience which is the international exhibition of 1878, the first developed under the Third Republic.
The two artists each had a fine personal career, their well-affirmed style generally makes it possible to differentiate their works, Jean having developed a work on flowers, scenes or family portraits, Emmanuel finds himself more at ease on large compositions. academics. We know of no other works of this importance produced jointly by the two artists.

The composition is wide-ranging, the nations participating in this international event are represented by women wearing traditional dress from their country, they surround the allegory of the City of Paris, a young woman presenting the city's coat of arms in front of a stele whose engraved pediment recalls the event. The work is centered on the apology of the Arts. Artists of Alsatian origin as well as the knowledge of our region are well represented here.
At the foot of the platform we recognize ceramics by Théodore Deck, born in Guebwiller, a well-known canvas by Jean Jacques Henner, Grand Prix de Rome, born in Berwiller in Sundgau, and the fabrics seem to come from Mulhouse factories. Remember that the Benner brothers started their careers in the Mulhouse textile industry by participating in the creation of patterns, especially floral, which may be an explanation for the presence of fabrics. Alongside this Alsatian group, other symbols complete the scene, in particular the David which would be the work of Antonin Mercier, perhaps a nod to the wish to take revenge on the German Empire following the defeat of 1870. The latter is also materialized by the presence, on the left of the painting, of two women in mourning dress, they materialize Alsace and Loraine whose partially concealed face evokes the part of this annexed region, more precisely the Moselle, here they are related to countries in their own right, lands lost in the context of the annexation of this part of French territory by Germany. The sad and lost gaze of these two women in the distance evokes a strong message sent to visitors or viewers, the hoped-for return to the motherland. This theme will also be widely disseminated by Jean-Jacques Henner's work "L'Alsace, elle attends". The Benners and Jean Jacques Henner were united by strong bonds of friendship, they made each other their portraits and Manny, Jean's son, benefited from the advice of the master and will be the life curator of the Jean Jacques Henner National Museum. Through this work, the two artists seem to take advantage of the event's audience to put Alsace back at the center of the debate on the reconquest of this lost territory and the value of the uprooted artists from these regions who chose to settle in Paris.
In the background are the Parisian landscape and the buildings that were built to host the event.
Historian Bernard Jacqué published a remarkable article on this work in the latest directory of the Société d'Histoire et de Géographie de Mulhouse, thank you for his publication, his research and his analysis.
To date we have not found the sponsor of this painting, certainly a person attached to this region, Bernard Jacqué in his article on the work suggests the name of Jules Siegfried, we will be happy to welcome any information allowing us to confirm this hypothesis.