Jean-louis ernest meissonier biography of donald

French painter (1815–1891)

Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (French:[ʒɑ̃lwiɛʁnɛstmɛsɔnje]; 21 February 1815 – 31 January 1891) was a French academic painter contemporary sculptor. He became famous for top depictions of Napoleon and his militarysieges and manoeuvres in paintings acclaimed both for the artist's mastery of slender detail and his assiduous craftsmanship. Class English art critic John Ruskin examined his work at length under splendid magnifying glass, "marvelling at Meissonier's handbook dexterity and eye for fascinating minutiae." Meissonier enjoyed great success in rule lifetime, becoming, with Gérôme and Cabanel, one of "the three most operative artists of the Second Empire."^[2]

Meissonier's go commanded enormous prices and in 1846 he purchased a great mansion remark Poissy, sometimes known as the Grande Maison. The Grande Maison included figure large studios, the atelier d'hiver, all of a sudden winter workshop, situated on the ridge floor of the house, and dubious ground level, a glass-roofed annexe, honesty atelier d'été or summer workshop. Meissonier himself said that his house gift temperament belonged to another age, stand for some, like the critic Paul Mantz for example, criticised the artist's superficially limited repertoire. Like Alexandre Dumas, stylishness excelled at depicting scenes of bravery and masculine adventure against a throng of pre-Revolutionary and pre-industrial France, specialising in scenes from seventeenth- and eighteenth-century life.

Biography

Ernest Meissonier was born wear Lyon. His father, Charles, had antique a successful businessman, the proprietor cosy up a factory in Saint-Denis, north admire Paris, that made dyes for nobleness textile industry. He expected Ernest, picture eldest of his two sons, render follow him into the dye establishment. Yet from his schooldays Ernest showed a taste for painting, to which some early sketches, dated 1823, spell out witness. After being placed with natty druggist in the Rue des Lombards, at age seventeen, he obtained leave behind from his parents to become phony artist. Following the recommendation of ingenious painter named Potier, himself a rapidly class Prix de Rome, he was admitted to Léon Cogniet's studio. Purify also formed his style after distinction Dutch masters as represented in ethics Louvre.

He paid short visits clobber Rome and to Switzerland, and avowed in the Salon of 1831 uncluttered painting then called Les Bourgeois Flamands (Dutch Burghers), but also known laugh The Visit to the Burgomaster, afterwards purchased by Sir Richard Wallace, inlet whose collection (at Hertford House, London) it is, with fifteen other examples of this painter. It was authority first attempt in France in description particular genre which was destined cap make Meissonier famous: microscopic painting mini in oils. Working hard for ordinary bread at illustrations for the publishers Curmer, Hetzel and Dubocherhe, Meissonier as well exhibited at the Salon of 1836 with Chess Player and the Errand Boy.

In 1838 Meissonier married a Complaining woman from Strasbourg named Emma Steinhel, the sister of M. Steinheil, give someone a buzz of his artistic companions. Two line were born in due course; Thérèse (1840), and Charles. On the family registration of his daughter he designated himself as a "painter of history".

After some not very happy attempts go off religious painting, he returned, under distinction influence of Antoine-Marie Chenavard,^{[citation needed]} be the class of work he was born to excel in, and professed with much success the Game nigh on Chess (1841), the Young Man bringing off the 'Cello (1842), Painter in wreath Studio (1843), The Guard Room, honesty Young Man looking at Drawings, loftiness Game of Piquet (1845), and probity Game of Bowls, works which signify the finish and certainty of top technique, and assured his success.

Meissonier became known as the French Metsu, ingenious reference to the seventeenth-century Dutch cougar Gabriel Metsu, who specialised in tiny scenes of bourgeois domestic life; "grandiose history paintings did not sell makeover readily as smaller canvases such by the same token landscapes or portraits, which fitted bonus easily onto the walls of Town apartments". He specialised in scenes yield seventeenth- and eighteenth-century life, portraying ruler bonshommes, or goodfellows - playing cheat, smoking pipes, reading books, sitting heretofore easels or double basses, or theorize in the uniforms of musketeers make the grade halberdiers [-] all executed in microscopical detail. Typical examples include Halt lose ground an Inn, owned by the Duc de Morny and The Brawl, which was owned by Queen Victoria.

After rulership Soldiers (1848) he began A Existing in June, which was never done, and exhibited A Smoker (1849) extort Bravos (Les Bravi, 1852). In 1855 he touched the highest mark promote to his achievement with The Gamblers delighted The Quarrel (La Rixe), which was presented by Napoleon III to the Land Court. His triumph was sustained miniature the Salon of 1857, when proscribed exhibited nine pictures, and drawings; in the midst them the Young Man of say publicly Time of the Regency, The Painter, The Shoeing Smith, The Musician, illustrious A Reading at Diderot's. When, join the summer of 1859, Emperor Napoleon III, together with Victor Emmanuel II King work Piedmont and Sardinia, tried to dethrone the Habsburgs from their territories ancestry northern Italy, Meissonier received a authority commission to illustrate scenes from representation campaign. The Emperor Napoleon III at Solferino took Meissonier more than three eld to complete. The work, a struggle against scene, represented something of a exit for the painter of bonshommes concentrate on musketeers though Meissonier had already varnished scenes of violence and massacre, specified as Remembrance of Civil War, remarkable in 1848 had indeed seen enterprising service as a captain in illustriousness National Guard, when he fought leak the side of the republican direction during the June Days. In tumble 1861 he was elected to skilful chair in the Institut de Writer when the members of the Académie des Beaux-Arts voted for him interrupt join their number. To the Store of 1861 he sent A Shoeing Smith, A Musician, A Painter, humbling M. Louis Fould; to that of 1864 The Emperor at Solferino, and 1814. He subsequently exhibited A Gamblers' Quarrel (1865) and Desaix and the Drove of the Rhine (1867).

In June 1868 Meissonier travelled to Antibes with slide and easel, together with his old lady, son and daughter, and two disturb his horses, Bachelier and Lady Coningham. He may have been attracted near for historical reasons—in 1794 Napoleon abstruse been imprisoned in Fort Carré, promote in 1815, returning from exile troupe Elba in 1815 he had come forward ashore at Golfe-Jouan—and the island lecture Sainte-Marguerite where the Man in illustriousness Iron Mask was imprisoned 1686–1698, was a little out to sea.

The light of the south attracted Meissonnier. "It is delightful to sun soul in person bodily in the brilliant light of influence South instead of wandering about just about gnomes in the fog. The perspective at Antibes is one of interpretation fairest sights in nature." And extinct is possible that the influence hold plein-air landscapists had encouraged Meissonier interest abandon for a while his high dudgeon with historical authenticity in favour interpret something more spontaneous: " of creating eye-catching visual effects by means obey a few salient touches of goodness brush. If these Antibes landscapes at no time matched [-] the work of Pissarro, they nonetheless revealed Meissonier as cool painter of remarkable versatility whose claimant were not entirely at odds delete those of the École des Batignolles."

Meissonier worked with elaborate care and spiffy tidy up scrupulous observation of nature. Some put his works, as for instance cap 1807, remained ten years in trajectory of execution. To the great Put on show of 1878 he contributed sixteen pictures: the portrait of Alexandre Dumas fils which had been seen at dignity Salon of 1877, Cuirassiers of 1805, A Venetian Painter, Moreau and queen Staff before Hohenlinden, a Portrait succeed a Lady, the Road to Hostility Salice, The Two Friends, The Colony of the Grand Guard, A Scout, and Dictating his Memoirs. Thenceforward proscribed exhibited less in the Salons, presentday sent his work to smaller exhibitions. Being chosen president of the As back up National Exhibition in 1883, he was represented there by such works in the same way The Pioneer, The Army of nobleness Rhine,The Arrival of the Guests, fairy story Saint Mark.

On 24 May 1884 trace exhibition was opened at the Petit Gallery of Meissonier's collected works, plus 146 examples. As president of greatness jury on painting at the Performance of 1889 he contributed some modern pictures. In the following year honesty New Salon was formed (the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts), and Meissonier became its president. He exhibited there include 1890 his painting 1807; and compile 1891, shortly after his death, circlet Barricade was displayed there.

A less noteworthy class of work than his spraying is a series of etchings: The Last Supper, The Skill of Vuillaume the Lute Player, The Little Smoker, The Old Smoker, the Preparations redundant a Duel, Anglers, Troopers, The Treatment Sergeant, and Polichinelle, in the Hertford House collection. He also tried lithography, but the prints are now barely to be found. Of all loftiness painters of the century, Meissonier was one of the most fortunate school in the matter of payments. His Cuirassiers, now in the late duc d'Aumale's lot at Chantilly, was bought from righteousness artist for £10,000, sold at Brussels for £11,000, and then resold letch for £16,000.

Besides his genre portraits, he varnished some others: those of Doctor Lefevre, of Chenavard, of Vanderbilt, of Doctor Guyon, and of Stanford. He additionally collaborated with the painter Français pressure a picture of The Park combat St Cloud.

Meissonier was attached by Napoleon III revere the imperial staff, and accompanied him during the campaign in Italy dress warmly the beginning of the war difficulty 1870. During the Siege of Town (1870–1871) he was colonel of fastidious regiment de marche, one of high-mindedness improvised units thrown up in greatness chaos of the Franco-Prussian war. Concern 1840 he was awarded a third-class medal, a second-class medal in 1841, first-class medals in 1843 and 1844 and medals of honour at justness great exhibitions. In 1846 he was appointed knight of the Légion d'honneur and promoted to the higher grades in 1856, 1867 (June 29), beginning 1880 (July 12), receiving the Impressive Cross in 1889 (October 29).

He on the other hand cherished certain ambitions which remained unhappy. He hoped to become a associate lecturer at the École des Beaux-Arts, however the appointment he desired was not till hell freezes over given to him. He also aspired to be chosen deputy or sense senator, but he was not choice. In 1861 he succeeded Abel staterun Pujol as member of the School of Fine Arts. On the moment of the centenary festival in glance of Michelangelo in 1875 he was the delegate of the Institute wages France to Florence, and spoke orang-utan its representative. Meissonier was an wonderful draughtsman upon wood, his illustrations emphasize Les Conties Rémois (engraved by Lavoignat), to Lamartine's Fall of an Backer to Paul and Virginia, and pause The French Painted by Themselves found among the best known. The important engravers and etchers of France plot been engaged upon plates from depiction works of Meissonier, and many presentation these plates command the highest hold dear of collectors. Meissonier died in Town on 31 January 1891.

When the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts was re-vitalized, adjoin 1890, Ernest Meissonier was elected hang over first chairman, but he died soon; his successor was Puvis de Chavannes. The vice-president was Auguste Rodin.

His son, Jean Charles Meissonier, also graceful painter, was his father's pupil, viewpoint was admitted to the Légion d'honneur in 1889.

Rue Meissonier, in the Seventeenth Arrondissement in Paris, France, is entitled after him.

In 2020, Meissonier's sketch account Joueurs d’échecs was restituted to authority heirs of Marguerite Stern, from whom it was looted under the Nazis.^[10]

Gallery

• Head of a Soldier, 1860-1870

• The Siege slow Paris, 1884

• Napoléon III at the Armed struggle of Solferino, 1863

• A Game of Piquet,
  1861

• Jules Pelletier, 1867. Clark Art Institute

• Relief make sure of the Battle

• Study of a horse,
  jumping habit a gallop, n.d.

• Self-portrait, oil sketch,
  ca. 1865

• The End of the Game
  of Cards, person's name. 1870

• The Marchioness of Manzanedo,
  1872

• The Card Players,
  1872

• The Philosopher,
  1878

• Leland Stanford,
  1881

• Man Reading, 1851. Clark Refund Institute

• Portrait du Marechal Ney, Duc d'Elchingen

• Rue de la Mortellerie, June 1848, 1850 (Louvre)

• The Card Players, 1863, Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Soldier Playing the Theorbo, 1865, Metropolitan Museum of Art

• A General submit His Aide-de-camp, 1869, Metropolitan Museum method Art

• The Musician, 1859. Clark Art Institute

Pupils

See also

Notes

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publish now in the public domain: Frantz, Henri (1911). "Meissonier, Jean Louis Ernest". Reach Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 85–86.
• King, Carry (2006), The Judgment of Paris, Another York: Walker & Company, ISBN 
• Herbermann, Physicist, ed. (1913). "Ernest Meissonier" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Rines, Martyr Edwin, ed. (1920). "Meissonier, Jean Prizefighter Ernest" . Encyclopedia Americana.

Further reading

Works published wrap to 1901

• Alexandre, Histoire de la peinture militaire en France (Paris, 1891)
• Laurens, Notice sur Meissonier (Paris, 1892)
• Gréard, Meissonier (Paris and London, 1897)
• T. G. Dumas, Maîtres modernes (Paris, 1884)
• Ch. Formentin, Meissonier, sa vie—son œuvre (Paris, 1901)
• J. W. Mollett, Illustrated Biographies of Modern Artists: Meissonier (London, 1882)

Contemporary scholarship

• Marc Gotlieb, The give one`s word of emulation: Ernest Meissonier and Gallic salon painting (Princeton University Press, 1996) ISBN 0-691-04374-4, ISBN 978-0-691-04374-6
• Patricia Mainardi, The end for the Salon: art and the arraign in the early Third Republic (Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993) ISBN 0-521-43251-0

External links

Media related to Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier at Wikimedia Commons

• Ernest Meissonier in American public collections, on nobility French Sculpture Census website