French Painting of the Nineteenth Century in the National Gallery of Art

French Painting of the 19th Century in the National Gallery of Art

The story of French painters during the nineteenth century is an exciting one, colored by personal rivalries and revolutions in taste. In the face of an indifferent or jeering public, artists often had to make great sacrifices to achieve the sincere expression of their ideals. Firmly established academic painters bitterly opposed all young artists who tried to create new styles, and the inertia of popular taste lent such authority to the Academy that artists could only be original at their own peril. The academic style grew out of the classical idealism of Jacques-Louis David (page 13). He rose to fame during the French Revolution (1789-95) by producing pictures with propaganda content and attained great prominence as the painter of the people. Son of a Paris tradesman, David had been fortunate enough to study painting in the French Royal Academy. After four failures and an attempted suicide, he won the Prix de Rome and in 1774 was able to go to Italy, which was then considered the fountainhead of art. There, during a ten-year stay, he reacted violently against the gay, trivial style of painting that French aristocrats had loved. Idolizing 2 the ancient statues he saw in Rome, he introduced a powerful Neo-Classical style and, after his return to France, he reorganized the Academy to sanction only a sober and elevating imitation of classical art. When Napoleon became emperor, in 1804, he appointed David his court painter and commissioned a series of huge pictures illustrating imperial ceremonies. However, soon after the Bourbon monarchy was restored, in 1814, David was exiled to Brussels, where he spent his last years. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 59288
Author: Evans, Grose
Release Date: Apr 16, 2019
Format: eBook
Language: English