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Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois, who had a strong passion for landscape painting and the art trade, even risked his life for this in the late 18th century: Together with Noël Desenfans, he travelled all over Europe during the First Coalition War to put together a collection of 190 works of art for the Polish king. Together with Noël Desenfans, Francis Bourgeois was also responsible for the foundation of the London art gallery "Dulwich Picture Gallery". The remarkable thing about this is that the Dulwich Picture Gallery is the first building in the world to be designed and built directly as a museum. It was also the fans of the latter who took the bourgeois, who was only 10 years old at the time, into their homes in order to support him artistically. From then on he was to live together with Desenfans until the end of his life. This enabled him to take art lessons from renowned English painters and paid bourgeois at the age of 20 years a trip through France, Holland, Italy and Switzerland. Thanks to his outstanding work and membership of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Bourgeois was henceforth allowed to bear the title "Sir" and was eventually even appointed royal landscape painter.
If it had been up to his father, however, everything would actually have been different: the London watchmaker of Swiss descent wanted his son to become a soldier later. Isaac Bourgeois, as his father was called, was an acquaintance of General George Augustus Elliot, also known as the defender of Gibraltar. He had promised the young Francis Bourgeois an officer's post as soon as he was old enough to do so. But Peter Francis Bourgeois had other plans and wanted to dedicate his life completely to art. In the beginning, he was a spectator at every military parade, but he did not see his future in the military, but rather inspiration for his art. So he began to observe and paint exactly what he saw. He knew that art was what he wanted to make his profession.
His paintings were characterized by landscapes in which figures and animals could be seen now and then. He undoubtedly understood his craft and was also able to record some lucrative sales of his own works. For example, the important English painter Joshua Reynolds had a landscape painting by Bourgeois hanging in his apartment, for which he had paid 100 pounds. Bourgeois was also appointed royal court painter in both England and Poland. Nevertheless, Bourgeois was far more successful in his commercial dealings, which is why he is today better known for his art trade than for his paintings.
Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois, who had a strong passion for landscape painting and the art trade, even risked his life for this in the late 18th century: Together with Noël Desenfans, he travelled all over Europe during the First Coalition War to put together a collection of 190 works of art for the Polish king. Together with Noël Desenfans, Francis Bourgeois was also responsible for the foundation of the London art gallery "Dulwich Picture Gallery". The remarkable thing about this is that the Dulwich Picture Gallery is the first building in the world to be designed and built directly as a museum. It was also the fans of the latter who took the bourgeois, who was only 10 years old at the time, into their homes in order to support him artistically. From then on he was to live together with Desenfans until the end of his life. This enabled him to take art lessons from renowned English painters and paid bourgeois at the age of 20 years a trip through France, Holland, Italy and Switzerland. Thanks to his outstanding work and membership of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Bourgeois was henceforth allowed to bear the title "Sir" and was eventually even appointed royal landscape painter.
If it had been up to his father, however, everything would actually have been different: the London watchmaker of Swiss descent wanted his son to become a soldier later. Isaac Bourgeois, as his father was called, was an acquaintance of General George Augustus Elliot, also known as the defender of Gibraltar. He had promised the young Francis Bourgeois an officer's post as soon as he was old enough to do so. But Peter Francis Bourgeois had other plans and wanted to dedicate his life completely to art. In the beginning, he was a spectator at every military parade, but he did not see his future in the military, but rather inspiration for his art. So he began to observe and paint exactly what he saw. He knew that art was what he wanted to make his profession.
His paintings were characterized by landscapes in which figures and animals could be seen now and then. He undoubtedly understood his craft and was also able to record some lucrative sales of his own works. For example, the important English painter Joshua Reynolds had a landscape painting by Bourgeois hanging in his apartment, for which he had paid 100 pounds. Bourgeois was also appointed royal court painter in both England and Poland. Nevertheless, Bourgeois was far more successful in his commercial dealings, which is why he is today better known for his art trade than for his paintings.