Joseph Granie 1866-1915

Originally from Toulouse, Joseph Granié began his training under the painter Jules Garipuy before moving to Paris to study in the studio of Jean-Léon Gérôme. From this early stage, he showed a clear predilection for portraiture; his choice of a self-portrait for his first submission to the Salon in 1879 was far from incidental. Figures, predominantly female, often ambiguous and rendered in a highly personal style, make up the majority of his output. While he is sometimes associated with the Symbolist movement, his preference for pared-down drawing set against monochrome backgrounds reveals a strong attraction to certain masters of the German and Italian Renaissance.