JACK-PARIS-Louvre, French paintings (part 1)
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PARIS-Louvre, French paintings (part 1)
Of all the museums in the world, the Louvre may not have the largest
number of paintings but has certainly the most complete. It's origin
being the "cabinet des tableaux" assembled in Fontainebleau by
François 1er, this collection, largely enriched by Louis XIV,
increased after the fall of Royalty by confiscations on church
belongings and emigrates (nobility). Follow the victories of the
revolutionaries and the seizures operated in different European
countries.
Its presentation occupies almost the entire second floor of the
Richelieu wing, the Cour carrée and the part located at the first
floor of the Denon wing, east of the gallery Apollon.
Let' start in the Richelieu wing on the second floor and continue
(always on the 2nd floor) all along.
200 works, from the primitives to Poussin, are visible in the 18 new
galleries designed by I.M.Pei.
Key masterpieces of medieval painting are on display in the different
rooms: the anonymous "Portrait de Jean le Bon in room 1 painted about
1350. The oldest known French easel painting and well kept portrait of
the 14th.
Room 6 has the famous " Pieta of Villeneuve-les-Avignon", austere and
grandiose chef d'oeuvre of the end of the medieval era, attributed
today to Enguerrand Carton. First influences of the Renaissance
can be seen here.
Rooms 7 and 8: the 16th century portrait painters represented by
Clouet, portrait of Francois 1er, draught by pencil, seen full face
and small format.
Rooms 9 and 10: Italian decorators arrive in Fontainebleau (Leonardo
da Vinci, Rosso, il Primatice), invited by Francois 1er and introduce
a sort of " mannerism" that shakes up the French genre. It is full of
elegance and refinement like the "Diane chasseresse", by an unknown
master and where experts think they recognize the idealised portrait
of Henri II's favourite, Diane de Poitiers.
Room 11: it's in Italy, especially in Rome that the French painters
look for inspiration to react against the excesses of mannerism. Most
of them like Valentin, Vouet, will turn to the naturalist movement
issued out of the art of Caravaggio. His popular or religious themes,
his contrasted and dramatic lighting will influence them immensely.
Master by excellence of French classicism, theorican, philosopher,
poet, Nicolas Poussin, who spent almost his entire life in Rome, was,
more than anybody else, haunted by the worry of perfection and where
the landscape, behind the religious theme, will take more and more
importance. You can see a quarter of his works, present at the Louvre,
I, rooms 13, 14, 16, 18. "Les Bacchanales), "Autoportrait" and a
splendid octagonal gallery (16) was specially imagined for Poussin's
"Les Quatre Saisons".
I room 15, Claude Gellee, said "le Lorrain", is more concerned with
the study of light effects, the variations happening during different
moments in the day and the reflections on water. That is enough to
make him a precursor of Impressionism: "Port de mer au soleil
couchant".
Bibliography:
The Louvre, Seven Faces of a Museum; The Louvre (Collection Guides
Gallimard); The Louvre-the Museum-the Collections-the New Spaces
(Connaissances des Arts); Louvre, la visite, Pierre Qouniam (Reunion
des Musees nationaux).
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