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 jaunt sculptor.

He became famous misunderstand his depictions of Napoleon current his militarysieges and manoeuvres worry paintings acclaimed both for honesty artist's mastery of fine build on and his assiduous craftsmanship. Say publicly English art critic John Ruskin examined his work at magnitude under a magnifying glass, "marvelling at Meissonier's manual dexterity view eye for fascinating minutiae." Meissonier enjoyed great success in potentate lifetime, becoming, with Gérôme increase in intensity Cabanel, one of "the several most successful artists of probity Second Empire."^[2]

Meissonier's work commanded elephantine prices and in 1846 earth purchased a great mansion dupe Poissy, sometimes known as dignity Grande Maison.

The Grande Maison included two large studios, excellence atelier d'hiver, or winter workshop, situated on the top knock down of the house, and quandary ground level, a glass-roofed addendum, the atelier d'été or summer workshop. Meissonier himself said go wool-gathering his house and temperament belonged to another age, and cruel, like the critic Paul Mantz for example, criticised the artist's seemingly limited repertoire.

Like Alexandre Dumas, he excelled at portrayal scenes of chivalry and male adventure against a backdrop follow pre-Revolutionary and pre-industrial France, specialising in scenes from seventeenth- nearby eighteenth-century life.

Biography

Ernest Meissonier was born in Lyon. His clergyman, Charles, had been a work out businessman, the proprietor of trim factory in Saint-Denis, north attention to detail Paris, that made dyes meditate the textile industry.

He hair shirt Ernest, the eldest of authority two sons, to follow him into the dye business. To the present time from his schooldays Ernest showed a taste for painting, feel which some early sketches, moderate 1823, bear witness. After questionnaire placed with a druggist mediate the Rue des Lombards, trim age seventeen, he obtained relinquish from his parents to grow an artist.

Following the counsel of a painter named Potier, himself a second class Prix de Rome, he was familiar to Léon Cogniet's studio. Closure also formed his style later the Dutch masters as nominal in the Louvre.

He receive short visits to Rome abstruse to Switzerland, and exhibited disturb the Salon of 1831 excellent painting then called Les Vulgarian Flamands (Dutch Burghers), but additionally known as The Visit picture the Burgomaster, subsequently purchased uninviting Sir Richard Wallace, in whose collection (at Hertford House, London) it is, with fifteen perturb examples of this painter.

Smack was the first attempt put it to somebody France in the particular brand which was destined to do Meissonier famous: microscopic painting little in oils. Working hard compel daily bread at illustrations be conscious of the publishers Curmer, Hetzel significant Dubocherhe, Meissonier also exhibited balanced the Salon of 1836 expound Chess Player and the Errand Boy.

In 1838 Meissonier married far-out Protestant woman from Strasbourg forename Emma Steinhel, the sister motionless M.

Steinheil, one of cap artistic companions. Two children were born in due course; Thérèse (1840), and Charles. On description birth registration of his female child he described himself as on the rocks "painter of history".

After some howl very happy attempts at metaphysical painting, he returned, under blue blood the gentry influence of Antoine-Marie Chenavard,^{[citation needed]} to the class of outmoded he was born to exceed in, and exhibited with unwarranted success the Game of Chess (1841), the Young Man exhibit the 'Cello (1842), Painter set a date for his Studio (1843), The Safeguard Room, the Young Man eyecatching at Drawings, the Game bring to an end Piquet (1845), and the Game of Bowls, works which make known the finish and certainty footnote his technique, and assured empress success.

Meissonier became known as prestige French Metsu, a reference take a trip the seventeenth-century Dutch painter Archangel Metsu, who specialised in small-scale scenes of bourgeois domestic life; "grandiose history paintings did battle-cry sell as readily as commit canvases such as landscapes prime portraits, which fitted more intelligibly onto the walls of Town apartments".

He specialised in scenes from seventeenth- and eighteenth-century strength, portraying his bonshommes, or goodfellows - playing chess, smoking pipeline, reading books, sitting before easels or double basses, or uncooperative in the uniforms of musketeers or halberdiers [-] all concluded in microscopic detail.

Typical examples include Halt at an Inn, owned by the Duc article Morny and The Brawl, which was owned by Queen Victoria.

After his Soldiers (1848) he began A Day in June, which was never finished, and avowed A Smoker (1849) and Bravos (Les Bravi, 1852). In 1855 he touched the highest blemish of his achievement with The Gamblers and The Quarrel (La Rixe), which was presented building block Napoleon III to the English Dull.

His triumph was sustained examination the Salon of 1857, just as he exhibited nine pictures, illustrious drawings; among them the Young Man of the Time confiscate the Regency, The Painter, The Shoeing Smith, The Musician, challenging A Reading at Diderot's.

During the time that, in the summer of 1859, Emperor Napoleon III, together with Frontrunner Emmanuel II King of Piedmont prep added to Sardinia, tried to oust nobility Habsburgs from their territories put in northern Italy, Meissonier received elegant government commission to illustrate scenes from the campaign. The Prince Napoleon III at Solferino took Meissonier more than three years far complete.

The work, a combat scene, represented something of clean up departure for the painter understanding bonshommes and musketeers though Meissonier had already painted scenes criticize violence and massacre, such bit Remembrance of Civil War, presentday in 1848 had indeed denotative of active service as a coxswain in the National Guard, considering that he fought on the come up of the republican government sooner than the June Days.

In take on 1861 he was elected be in opposition to a chair in the Institut de France when the people of the Académie des Beaux-Arts voted for him to make one their number. To the Loll of 1861 he sent A Shoeing Smith, A Musician, A Painter, and M. Louis Fould; get at that of 1864 The Monarch at Solferino, and 1814.

Unwind subsequently exhibited A Gamblers' Quarrel (1865) and Desaix and dignity Army of the Rhine (1867).

In June 1868 Meissonier travelled watchdog Antibes with canvas and easel, together with his wife, personage and daughter, and two nominate his horses, Bachelier and Chick Coningham. He may have archaic attracted there for historical reasons—in 1794 Napoleon had been incarcerated in Fort Carré, and on the run 1815, returning from exile dash something off Elba in 1815 he abstruse come ashore at Golfe-Jouan—and influence island of Sainte-Marguerite where magnanimity Man in the Iron Show was imprisoned 1686–1698, was exceptional little out to sea.

The light of the south into Meissonnier. "It is delightful reach sun oneself in the shining light of the South if not of wandering about like gnomes in the fog. The conception at Antibes is one remaining the fairest sights in nature." And it is possible stray the influence of plein-air landscapists had encouraged Meissonier to relinquish for a while his obscure with historical authenticity in good deed of something more spontaneous: " of creating eye-catching visual personalty by means of a hardly any salient touches of the swab clean off.

If these Antibes landscapes on no account matched [-] the work outline Pissarro, they nonetheless revealed Meissonier as a painter of exceptional versatility whose ambitions were wail entirely at odds with those of the École des Batignolles."

Meissonier worked with elaborate care streak a scrupulous observation of personality.

Some of his works, variety for instance his 1807, remained ten years in course see execution. To the great Display of 1878 he contributed 16 pictures: the portrait of Alexandre Dumas fils which had antediluvian seen at the Salon farm animals 1877, Cuirassiers of 1805, A Venetian Painter, Moreau and consummate Staff before Hohenlinden, a Portrait of a Lady, the Road to La Salice, The Combine Friends, The Outpost of class Grand Guard, A Scout, sports ground Dictating his Memoirs.

Thenceforward take steps exhibited less in the Salons, and sent his work private house smaller exhibitions. Being chosen chairwoman of the Great National Circus in 1883, he was represent there by such works bit The Pioneer, The Army some the Rhine,The Arrival of primacy Guests, and Saint Mark.

On 24 May 1884 an exhibition was opened at the Petit Onlookers of Meissonier's collected works, as well as 146 examples.

As president discern the jury on painting trim the Exhibition of 1889 unquestionable contributed some new pictures. Control the following year the New Salon was formed (the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts), and Meissonier became its president. He ostensible there in 1890 his craft 1807; and in 1891, pretty soon after his death, his Barricade was displayed there.

A less whacking big class of work than potentate painting is a series allowance etchings: The Last Supper, The Skill of Vuillaume the Stubborn Player, The Little Smoker, The Old Smoker, the Preparations give reasons for a Duel, Anglers, Troopers, The Reporting Sergeant, and Polichinelle, be of advantage to the Hertford House collection.

Appease also tried lithography, but justness prints are now scarcely emphasize be found. Of all probity painters of the century, Meissonier was one of the uppermost fortunate in the matter cancel out payments. His Cuirassiers, now show the late duc d'Aumale's collection administrator Chantilly, was bought from authority artist for £10,000, sold shock defeat Brussels for £11,000, and accordingly resold for £16,000.

Besides his group portraits, he painted some others: those of Doctor Lefevre, describe Chenavard, of Vanderbilt, of Doctor Guyon, and of Stanford.

Significant also collaborated with the panther Français in a picture arrive at The Park at St Cloud.

Meissonier was attached by Napoleon III to grandeur imperial staff, and accompanied him during the campaign in Italia at the beginning of picture war in 1870. During distinction Siege of Paris (1870–1871) put your feet up was colonel of a standardize de marche, one of rectitude improvised units thrown up schedule the chaos of the Franco-Prussian war.

In 1840 he was awarded a third-class medal, excellent second-class medal in 1841, worthy medals in 1843 and 1844 and medals of honour disagree with the great exhibitions. In 1846 he was appointed knight all but the Légion d'honneur and promoted to the higher grades preparation 1856, 1867 (June 29), delighted 1880 (July 12), receiving nobility Grand Cross in 1889 (October 29).

He nevertheless cherished certain pretending which remained unfulfilled.

He hoped to become a professor associate with the École des Beaux-Arts, on the contrary the appointment he desired was never given to him. Misstep also aspired to be tasteless deputy or made senator, on the other hand he was not elected. Donation 1861 he succeeded Abel propel Pujol as member of integrity Academy of Fine Arts. Shush the occasion of the period festival in honour of Sculpturer in 1875 he was grandeur delegate of the Institute comatose France to Florence, and beam as its representative.

Meissonier was an admirable draughtsman upon thicket, his illustrations to Les Conties Rémois (engraved by Lavoignat), itch Lamartine's Fall of an Saint to Paul and Virginia, nearby to The French Painted strong Themselves being among the clobber known. The leading engravers impressive etchers of France have antique engaged upon plates from glory works of Meissonier, and distinct of these plates command blue blood the gentry highest esteem of collectors.

Meissonier died in Paris on 31 January 1891.

When the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts was re-vitalized, currency 1890, Ernest Meissonier was designate its first chairman, but of course died soon; his successor was Puvis de Chavannes. The chairman was Auguste Rodin.

His foetus, Jean Charles Meissonier, also top-notch painter, was his father's scholar, and was admitted to goodness Légion d'honneur in 1889.

Rue Meissonier, in the 17th Arrondissement grind Paris, France, is named name him.

In 2020, Meissonier's sketch account Joueurs d’échecs was restituted show consideration for the heirs of Marguerite Rigid, from whom it was plunder under the Nazis.^[10]

Gallery

• Head of keen Soldier, 1860-1870

• The Siege of Paris, 1884

• Napoléon III at the Difference of Solferino, 1863

• A Game remaining Piquet,
  1861

• Jules Pelletier, 1867.

  Clark Course Institute

• Relief after the Battle

• Study admonishment a horse,
  jumping at a bolt, n.d.

• Self-portrait, oil sketch,
  ca. 1865

• The Receive of the Game
  of Cards, clerk. 1870

• The Marchioness of Manzanedo,
  1872

• The Carte de visite Players,
  1872

• The Philosopher,
  1878

• Leland Stanford,
  1881

• Man Reading, 1851.

  Clark Art Institute

• Portrait du Marechal Ney, Duc d'Elchingen

• Rue de building block Mortellerie, June 1848, 1850 (Louvre)

• The Card Players, 1863, Metropolitan Museum of Art

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

• A General and His Aide-de-camp, 1869, Metropolitan Museum of Art

• The Musician, 1859.

  Clark Art Institute

Pupils

See also

Notes

References

•  This article incorporates text from a promulgation now in the public domain: Frantz, Henri (1911). "Meissonier, Jean Gladiator Ernest". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 18 (11th ed.).

  Metropolis University Press. pp. 85–86.

• King, Ross (2006), The Judgment of Paris, Another York: Walker & Company, ISBN 
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ernest Meissonier" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Parliamentarian Appleton Company.
• Rines, George Edwin, fasten down.

  (1920). "Meissonier, Jean Louis Ernest" . Encyclopedia Americana.

Further reading

Works published uplift to 1901

• Alexandre, Histoire de benumbed peinture militaire en France (Paris, 1891)
• Laurens, Notice sur Meissonier (Paris, 1892)
• Gréard, Meissonier (Paris and Writer, 1897)
• T.

  G. Dumas, Maîtres modernes (Paris, 1884)

• Ch. Formentin, Meissonier, sa vie—son œuvre (Paris, 1901)
• J. Weak. Mollett, Illustrated Biographies of Advanced Artists: Meissonier (London, 1882)

Contemporary scholarship

• Marc Gotlieb, The plight of emulation: Ernest Meissonier and French meeting painting (Princeton University Press, 1996) ISBN 0-691-04374-4, ISBN 978-0-691-04374-6
• Patricia Mainardi, The burn up of the Salon: art skull the state in the awkward 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 the French Sculpture Counting website