The "private" collections shown here are generally held by individuals who have a family connection with Eugene Burnand. He produced an enormous amount of work in the form of sketches for recreational purposes, or for major planned work or simply to please and entertain his family and friends. Countless numbers of these were given away by him as he felt inclined but most seem to have just accumulated. He died in 1921 when the world was in social turmoil. His wife Julia died four weeks later. His workshop in Paris had recently been seriously damaged by fire and one of his twin sons had died of influenza. He had himself been unwell. It seems that his pictures were dispersed among all his remaining seven children. I have been privileged to see and photograph some of these collections that have hardly been touched since they were originally packed in envelopes. Naturally they have deteriorated as they were not intended to endure and there is very little information about them other than memory of the owners. These pictures illustrate his talent in more ways than can seen from his great works. Most are presented as they are. Some I have enhanced where I have thought it helpful.
Julia Burnand
Print of "La descente des troupeaux" OOC 1890 124 x 200 cms.
La Fileuse
"La Tuayre". This is a rock and water feature close to Seppey.
No information.
No information.
Mireille Burnand
Study for "Mireille", the poem he illustrated for Frédéric Mistral 1884
'St Francis and the friars discourse of God'. From 'The Little Flowers of St Francis' 1919.
Paul Girardet, friend and brother-in-law
Print of the Pearl of great price parable. Dedicated in the artist's writing to Mme. Fred Page dated 1921. She was his daughter Henrietta (Rita) who had recently married englishman Fred Page. Eldest son Franz modelled the merchant.
No information
Print from the Parable sheep and goats autographed for Mireille's birthday. Julia his wife clearly modelled for this.
The Prodigal Son
No information. It looks like a depiction of a family event. Possibly travelling up the hill from Bressonaz station to Seppey.
It looks similar to the earlier one dated 1860 that is the work of his father Edouard.
It is a view of the church Sainte-Eulalie in Montpellier (France), seen from Place de Peyrou. (Information from Peter Weinmann, Montpellier 2023)
No information.
No information. Again, it suggests a family event that caught his sense of humour. And his sense of humility perhaps.
The church at Vulliens near Seppey (where he and most of his family are buried)
No information.