Portrait of the Sculptor Jules Lafrance

In 1874, Albert Besnard won the Prix de Rome, which entitled him to a four-year residency at the French Academy in Rome, housed in the Villa Medici. Soon after his arrival, he met the sculptor Jules Lafrance (1841–1881) and made this portrait, which he dedicates with an inscription: “to my friend Lafrance, A. Besnard, 3 July 1875.” In this portrait, Besnard lets Lafrance draw the viewer in with his sense of style and studied nonchalance. Both artists enjoyed successful careers after their return to France, although Lafrance’s career was cut short by his death just weeks after his 39th birthday.