L a - b e a u t é - s a u v e r a - l e - m o n d e ~ D o s t o ï e v s k i
Friday, April 28, 2017
L'Homme en violet - portraits of the comte d'Angiviller
By Jean-Baptiste Greuze, circa 1763.
Charles-Claude Flahaut de la Billaderie, comte d'Angiviller ( Altona), director of the Bâtiments du roi under Louis XVI. Having had a successful military career during the reign of Louis XV, rising to the rank of Field Marshal, he also later found himself in charge of the household of the dauphin’s sons. During his tenure he developed a close relationship with the young duc de Berry, the future Louis XVI who, after his accession in 1774, appointed d'Angiviller directeur général des Bâtiments, Arts, Jardins et Manufactures de France, a position perhaps best described as a kind of general and powerful minister of fine arts. As a personal friend of the king, he had great resources at his disposal - at least at the beginning of the reign, before the economic situation in France became so desperate - and throughout his career he displayed impressive energy and discernment. He was a great supporter of the Neoclassical movement, approved countless important artistic commissions, and it had been one of his most ambitious project to transform the Grand Galerie of the Louvre into Europe's most important art museum; the Revolution intervened, and the revolutionary government would assume all the credit when the Musée du Louvre opened in 1793. Two years before, though, falsely accused of squandering public funds - perhaps more damning would be his aristocratic title and his friendship with the king - he had fled France. He died in Germany at the age of seventy-nine.
Three details of the above.
Miniature by Jean-Baptiste Weyler, 1779.
Another version of the miniature by Jean-Baptiste Weyler, set in a box by François Delanoy, 1779.
So glad you enjoy this post so much, Andee. The Greuze is in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Duplessis appears to be at Versailles; I don't know where the other version of the Duplessis resides. (By the way, looking to answer your question, I found that there's at least one more version of the Duplessis portrait - taking us to three - and at least one more oil sketch for the portrait!) The miniature by Weyler - with the strange little "drape" - is in the collection of the Louvre. The snuffbox appears to have been for sale recently; I don't know whether it has sold or where it might have ended up.
The UNTOLD GAZE is a large format fine art book - 11x11 inches hardbound, 160 pages, full color - a collection of almost ninety of Stephen's paintings paired with short fiction and poetry inspired by his work. Included among the thirty-three authors are Lidia Yuknavitch, Tom Spanbauer, Monica Drake, Sam Roxas-Chua, and Whitney Otto. Click on the image above if you'd like more information on how to purchase the book.
Stephen O’Donnell is a mid-career fine artist, writer, and singer/performer. His paintings are widely collected, both in this country and abroad. Entirely self-taught, he is best known for his self-portraits, paintings which typically employ gender ambiguity and a lot of droll humor. His work most often exemplifies what is known as a portrait historié, in which a recognizable subject is portrayed in period costume or mythological guise, to dramatic or comic effect. He is also known for his small paintings of animals. His work – both literary and visual – has appeared in the literary magazines/journals Nailed, Menacing Hedge, Buckmxn Journal, and Gertrude. He is married to writer and graphic designer Gigi Little, with whom he sometimes performs. Their book, The Untold Gaze – a collection of Stephen’s paintings paired with short fiction by 33 authors – was published in October of 2018. They live in Portland, Oregon with their dog Nicholas.
I love the fur trim on the violet coat in the top painting. I wonder if it was a full fur lining?
ReplyDeleteI keep coming back to look at the details of his clothing by the artist. So beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to ask./ Where are all; these gorgeous portraits you show reside now? Is the comte in the Louvre?
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoy this post so much, Andee. The Greuze is in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Duplessis appears to be at Versailles; I don't know where the other version of the Duplessis resides. (By the way, looking to answer your question, I found that there's at least one more version of the Duplessis portrait - taking us to three - and at least one more oil sketch for the portrait!) The miniature by Weyler - with the strange little "drape" - is in the collection of the Louvre. The snuffbox appears to have been for sale recently; I don't know whether it has sold or where it might have ended up.
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