Jules-Bertrand Gélibert was a celebrated French painter best known for his dynamic depictions of dogs, horses, and hunting scenes. Born in Bagnères-de-Bigorre in 1834, he was the son and pupil of his father, Paul Gélibert, a respected animal painter who exhibited in oils and watercolors at the Paris Salon. Under his father’s tutelage, Jules inherited both technical skill and a deep affection for animal subjects.
Gélibert enjoyed a distinguished career, exhibiting regularly at the Salon des Beaux-Arts in Nice (1901–1902) and the prestigious Salon des Artistes Français, where he received a medal in 1869 and a second-class medal in 1883. His talent was further recognized with bronze medals at the Exposition Universelle in both 1889 and 1900. In recognition of his artistic achievements, he was appointed Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur.
Renowned particularly for his hunting scenes, la chasse, Gélibert was not only a chronicler of the sporting life but an active participant. He hunted with the Rallye Sivry at Fontainebleau, the Bois Boudran hunt with Count Greffulhe, and the packs of Baron de Lassus. Deeply embedded in the French sporting world, he presided over the “Salon des Peintres et Sculpteurs de Chasse et Vénerie,” which he helped establish in 1890. This celebrated salon held annual exhibitions until 1912 in the Orangery of the Jardin des Tuileries, bringing together the finest artists of the hunt.
Today, Gélibert’s work is held in numerous public and private collections worldwide. His paintings can be found in major museums in New York, London, and Paris, as well as regional institutions in Bagnères, Cambrai, Saint-Étienne, and Tarbes. Many of France’s notable châteaux, including Murat, Wagram, and Carayon-Latour, also house his works, a testament to his lasting appeal among collectors of sporting and animal art.