Paul Delaroche
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| + | [[Image:Napoléon Bonaparte abdicated in Fontainebleau.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Napoléon Bonaparte abdicated in Fontainebleau]] (1845) by [[Paul Delaroche]]]] | ||
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| - | '''Hippolyte Delaroche''', commonly known as '''Paul Delaroche''' ([[July 17]], [[1797]] - [[November 4]], [[1856]]) was a [[France|French]] [[painter]] born in [[Paris]]. | ||
| - | Delaroche was born into a wealthy family and was trained by [[Antoine-Jean, Baron Gros|Gros]], who then painted life-size histories and had many students. | + | '''Hippolyte De La Roche''' (17 July 1797 – 4 November 1856), commonly known as '''Paul Delaroche''', was a [[French painter]]. He was born and died in [[Paris]]. Delaroche was trained by [[Antoine-Jean, Baron Gros]], who then painted [[life-size]] [[History painting|histories]] and had many students. |
| - | The first Delaroche picture exhibited was the large "Josabeth saving Joas" (1822). This exhibition led to his acquaintance with [[Théodore Géricault|Géricault]] and [[Eugène Delacroix|Delacroix]], with whom he became friends. The three of them were the central group of a large body of historical painters, such as perhaps never before lived in one locality and at one time. | + | He is known for such sensational historical paintings as ''[[The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (painting)|The Execution of Lady Jane Grey]]''. |
| - | He visited [[Italy]] in 1838 and 1843, when his father-in-law, [[Horace Vernet]], was director of the [[French Academy in Rome]]. | + | The first Delaroche picture exhibited was the large ''[[Jehosheba saving Joash]]'' (1822). This exhibition led to his acquaintance with [[Théodore Géricault]] and [[Eugène Delacroix]], with whom he became friends. The three of them formed the core of a large group of Parisian historical painters. He visited [[Italy]] in 1838 and 1843, when his father-in-law, [[Horace Vernet]], was director of the [[French Academy in Rome]]. |
| - | His studio in Paris was in the ''rue Mazarine''. His subjects were painted with a firm, solid, smooth surface, which gave an appearance of the highest finish. This texture was the manner of the day and was also found in the works of [[Horace Vernet|Vernet]], [[Ary Scheffer|Scheffer]], [[Louis-Leopold Robert]] and [[Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres|Ingres]]. | + | Delaroche's studio in Paris was in the ''Rue Mazarine''. His subjects were painted with a firm, solid, smooth surface, which gave an appearance of the highest finish. This texture was the manner of the day and was also found in the works of Vernet, [[Ary Scheffer]], [[Louis Léopold Robert]] and [[Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres]]. Among his students were British landscape artist [[Henry Mark Anthony (artist)|Henry Mark Anthony]] (1817–1886), British history painters [[Edward Armitage]] [[Royal Academy|RA]] (1817–1896) and [[Charles Lucy]] (1814–1873), and American painter/photographer Alfred L. Boisseau (1823–1901). |
| - | Delaroche's work was not always historically accurate. "Cromwell lifting the Coffin-lid and looking at the Body of Charles" is an incident only to be excused by an improbable tradition; but "The King in the Guard-Room, with villainous roundhead soldiers blowing tobacco smoke in his patient face," is a libel on the [[Puritans]]; and "Queen Elizabeth dying on the Ground," like a she-dragon no one dares to touch, is sensational; while "[[The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (painting)|The Execution of Lady Jane Grey]]" is represented as taking place in a dungeon, which is badly inaccurate. | + | ==Style== |
| + | Delaroche's paintings, with their straightforward technique and dramatic compositions, became very popular. He applied essentially the same treatment to the characters of distant historical times, the founders of [[Christianity]], and various figures of his own day such as "[[Napoleon at Fontainebleau]]," "[[Napoleon at St Helena]]," or "[[Marie Antoinette leaving the Convention after her sentence]]." | ||
| - | On the other hand, "Strafford led to Execution," when [[Laud]] stretches his lawn-covered arms out of the small high window of his cell to give him a blessing as he passes along the corridor, is perfect; and the splendid scene of [[Cardinal Richelieu|Richelieu]] in his gorgeous barge, preceding the boat containing [[Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis of Cinq-Mars|Cinq-Mars]] and [[Jacques Auguste de Thou|De Thou]] carried to execution by their guards, is perhaps the most dramatic semi-historical work ever done. His 1835 "Assassination of the duc de Guise at Blois" is an exacting historical study was well a dramatic insight into human nature. Other important Delaroche works include "The Princes in the Tower" and the "La Jeune Martyr" (Young female Martyr floating dead on the Tiber). | + | ==Historical works and accuracy== |
| + | His dramatic paintings include ''Strafford Led to Execution'', depicting the English [[Archbishop Laud]] stretching his arms out of the small high window of his cell to bless [[Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford]], as Strafford passes along the corridor to be executed, and the ''Assassination of the duc de Guise at Blois''. Another famous work shows [[Cardinal Richelieu]] in a gorgeous barge, preceding the boat carrying [[Cinq-Mars]] and [[Jacques Auguste de Thou|De Thou]] carried to their execution. Other important Delaroche works include ''The [[Princes in the Tower]]'' and the ''[[La Jeune Martyre]]'' (showing a young female martyr floating dead on the [[Tiber]]). | ||
| - | Delaroche's love for Horace Vernet's young daughter Louise was the absorbing passion of his life. In 1835, he exhibited the "Head of an Angel," which was based on a study of her. It is said that Delaroche never recovered from the shock of her 1845 death. After her death his finest works were the extremely serious sequence of small elaborate pictures of incidents in the [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]]. Two of these, the Virgin and the other Manes, with the apostles Peter and John, within a nearly dark apartment, hearing the crowd as it passes haling Christ to Calvary, and St John conducting the Virgin home again after all is over, are beyond all praise as exhibiting the divine story from a simply human point of view. They are pure and elevated, and also dramatic and painful. | + | Delaroche's work sometimes contained historical inaccuracies. ''[[Cromwell lifting the Coffin-lid and looking at the Body of Charles]]'' is based on an [[urban legend]], and ''[[The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (painting)|The Execution of Lady Jane Grey]]'' is represented as taking place in a dungeon, which is badly inaccurate. He tended to care more about dramatic effect than historical truth: see also ''The King in the Guardroom'', where villainous [[Puritan]] soldiers blow tobacco smoke in the face of King Charles, and ''[[Queen Elizabeth Dying on the Ground]]''. |
| - | Delaroche was not troubled by ideals, and had no affectation of them. His sound but hard execution allowed no mystery to intervene between him and his motif, which was always intelligible to the million, so that he escaped all the waste of energy that painters who try to be poets on canvas suffer. Thus it is that essentially the same treatment was applied by him to the characters of distant historical times, the founders of the [[Christian religion]], and the real people of his own day, such as "[[Napoleon]] at Fontainebleau," or "Napoleon at St Helena," or "[[Marie Antoinette]] leaving the Convention after her sentence." | + | ==Marriage to Louise Vernet== |
| + | Delaroche's love for Horace Vernet's daughter Louise was the absorbing passion of his life. He married Loiuse in 1835, in which year he also exhibited ''Head of an Angel'', which was based on a study of her. It is said that Delaroche never recovered from the shock of her 1845 death at the age of 31. After her loss he produced a sequence of small elaborate pictures of incidents in Jesus' [[Passion (Christianity)|Passion]]. He focused attention on the human drama of the Passion, as in a painting where Mary and the apostles hear the crowd cheering Jesus on the [[Via Dolorosa]], and another where St. John escorts Mary home after her son's death. | ||
| - | In [[1837]] Delaroche received the commission for the great picture, 27 metres long, in the [[hemicycle]] of the lecture theatre of the [[École des Beaux Arts]]. This represents the great artists of the modern ages assembled in groups on either hand of a central elevation of white marble steps, on the topmost of which are three thrones filled by the architects and sculptors of the [[Parthenon]]. To supply the female element in this vast composition he introduced the genii or [[muses]], who symbolize or reign over the arts, leaning against the [[balustrade]] of the steps, beautiful and queenly figures with a certain antique perfection of form, but not informed by any wonderful or profound expression. The portrait figures are nearly all unexceptionable and admirable. This great and successful work is on the wall itself, an inner wall however, and is executed in oil. It was finished in 1841, and considerably injured by a fire which occurred in 1855, which injury he immediately set himself to remedy (finished by [[Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury|Robert-Fleury]]); but he died before he had well begun, on the 4th of November 1856. | + | == The Hémicycle== |
| + | In 1837 Delaroche received the commission for the great picture that came to be known as the ''[[Hémicycle]]'', a Raphaelesque tableau influenced by ''[[The School of Athens]]''. This was a 27 metres (88.5 ft) long, mural in the hemicycle of the award theatre of the [[École des Beaux Arts]]. The commission came from the École's architect, [[Félix Duban]]. The painting represents seventy-five great artists of all ages, in conversation, assembled in groups on either hand of a central elevation of white marble steps, on the topmost of which are three thrones filled by the creators of the [[Parthenon]]: architect [[Phidias]], sculptor [[Ictinus]], and painter [[Apelles]], symbolizing the unity of these arts. | ||
| + | To supply the female element in this vast composition he introduced the genii or [[muses]], who symbolize or reign over the arts, leaning against the [[balustrade]] of the steps, depicted as idealized female figures. The painting is done directly on the wall, in oil paints. Delaroche finished the work in 1841, but it was considerably damaged by a fire in 1855. He immediately set about trying to re-paint and restore the work, but died on 4 November 1856, before he had accomplished much of this. The restoration was finished by [[Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury]]. | ||
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| + | ==Photography== | ||
| + | Delaroche is often quoted as saying '[[from today, painting is dead]]'. The observation was probably made in 1839, when Delaroche saw the [[Daguerreotype]] (the first successful photographic process). | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | * ''[[Charles I Insulted by Cromwell's Soldiers]]'', the Delaroche thought lost in the Blitz, rediscovered in 2009 | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[From today, painting is dead]] | ||
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Hippolyte De La Roche (17 July 1797 – 4 November 1856), commonly known as Paul Delaroche, was a French painter. He was born and died in Paris. Delaroche was trained by Antoine-Jean, Baron Gros, who then painted life-size histories and had many students.
He is known for such sensational historical paintings as The Execution of Lady Jane Grey.
The first Delaroche picture exhibited was the large Jehosheba saving Joash (1822). This exhibition led to his acquaintance with Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix, with whom he became friends. The three of them formed the core of a large group of Parisian historical painters. He visited Italy in 1838 and 1843, when his father-in-law, Horace Vernet, was director of the French Academy in Rome.
Delaroche's studio in Paris was in the Rue Mazarine. His subjects were painted with a firm, solid, smooth surface, which gave an appearance of the highest finish. This texture was the manner of the day and was also found in the works of Vernet, Ary Scheffer, Louis Léopold Robert and Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. Among his students were British landscape artist Henry Mark Anthony (1817–1886), British history painters Edward Armitage RA (1817–1896) and Charles Lucy (1814–1873), and American painter/photographer Alfred L. Boisseau (1823–1901).
Contents |
Style
Delaroche's paintings, with their straightforward technique and dramatic compositions, became very popular. He applied essentially the same treatment to the characters of distant historical times, the founders of Christianity, and various figures of his own day such as "Napoleon at Fontainebleau," "Napoleon at St Helena," or "Marie Antoinette leaving the Convention after her sentence."
Historical works and accuracy
His dramatic paintings include Strafford Led to Execution, depicting the English Archbishop Laud stretching his arms out of the small high window of his cell to bless Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, as Strafford passes along the corridor to be executed, and the Assassination of the duc de Guise at Blois. Another famous work shows Cardinal Richelieu in a gorgeous barge, preceding the boat carrying Cinq-Mars and De Thou carried to their execution. Other important Delaroche works include The Princes in the Tower and the La Jeune Martyre (showing a young female martyr floating dead on the Tiber).
Delaroche's work sometimes contained historical inaccuracies. Cromwell lifting the Coffin-lid and looking at the Body of Charles is based on an urban legend, and The Execution of Lady Jane Grey is represented as taking place in a dungeon, which is badly inaccurate. He tended to care more about dramatic effect than historical truth: see also The King in the Guardroom, where villainous Puritan soldiers blow tobacco smoke in the face of King Charles, and Queen Elizabeth Dying on the Ground.
Marriage to Louise Vernet
Delaroche's love for Horace Vernet's daughter Louise was the absorbing passion of his life. He married Loiuse in 1835, in which year he also exhibited Head of an Angel, which was based on a study of her. It is said that Delaroche never recovered from the shock of her 1845 death at the age of 31. After her loss he produced a sequence of small elaborate pictures of incidents in Jesus' Passion. He focused attention on the human drama of the Passion, as in a painting where Mary and the apostles hear the crowd cheering Jesus on the Via Dolorosa, and another where St. John escorts Mary home after her son's death.
The Hémicycle
In 1837 Delaroche received the commission for the great picture that came to be known as the Hémicycle, a Raphaelesque tableau influenced by The School of Athens. This was a 27 metres (88.5 ft) long, mural in the hemicycle of the award theatre of the École des Beaux Arts. The commission came from the École's architect, Félix Duban. The painting represents seventy-five great artists of all ages, in conversation, assembled in groups on either hand of a central elevation of white marble steps, on the topmost of which are three thrones filled by the creators of the Parthenon: architect Phidias, sculptor Ictinus, and painter Apelles, symbolizing the unity of these arts.
To supply the female element in this vast composition he introduced the genii or muses, who symbolize or reign over the arts, leaning against the balustrade of the steps, depicted as idealized female figures. The painting is done directly on the wall, in oil paints. Delaroche finished the work in 1841, but it was considerably damaged by a fire in 1855. He immediately set about trying to re-paint and restore the work, but died on 4 November 1856, before he had accomplished much of this. The restoration was finished by Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury.
Photography
Delaroche is often quoted as saying 'from today, painting is dead'. The observation was probably made in 1839, when Delaroche saw the Daguerreotype (the first successful photographic process).
See also
- Charles I Insulted by Cromwell's Soldiers, the Delaroche thought lost in the Blitz, rediscovered in 2009
See also
