ART HIST 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Georges De La Tour, François Girardon, Hyacinthe Rigaud
French Baroque - Lecture 11
October 19, 2017
A. Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis XIV, 1701. Oil on canvas.
- Master of political strategy, founded art academy
- Convinced that he had God’s will to be the king of France, “the sun
king” ; knew art could be used for propaganda
- Image of absolute monarch in absolute control; looking down upon viewer;
wearing coronation clothes
- Scene is carefully composed with red curtain framing him
- Set standard for French portraiture
B. Versailles, France, begun 1669.
- Defining statement of French baroque style
- Embodiment of political control of landscape and France itself
- Everything is on axis for Versailles Park: compare to Capitol and
State Street leading to Bascom
- Hall of Mirrors
- Paintings on ceiling depict Louis’ reign
1. Francois Girardon and Thomas Regnaudin, Apollo Attended by the
Nymphs
, Grotto of Thetis, Versailles, France, 1666-72. Marble.
- Looked closely at classical sculpture
- Incredible propaganda and glorification of Louis XIV
C. Georges de la Tour, Mary Magdalen with the Smoking Flame
c. 1640. Oil
on canvas.
- Extreme light/dark contrast; candle is the source of light
- Characterized by large scale figures that take up majority of scene
- Mary is holding a skull (symbol of morality; live well) and looking at a
candle
D. Nicolas Poussin, Et in Arcadia Ego, 1655, oil on canvas.
- Established classical painting style; heavily influenced by classical Roman
ruins
- Artists thinking about those that came before him.
- Four figures are arranged a tomb monument; influenced by
Raphael’s calm/balanced figures and sculptures
- Idyllic landscape
- Woman interpreted as a spirit of death
- Was not a fan of genre or landscape painting, wanted something bigger
E. Claude Lorrain, Landscape with Cattle and Peasants
, 1629, oil on canvas.
Document Summary
October 19, 2017: hyacinthe rigaud, louis xiv, 1701. Master of political strategy, founded art academy. Convinced that he had god"s will to be the king of france, the sun king ; knew art could be used for propaganda. Image of absolute monarch in absolute control; looking down upon viewer; wearing coronation clothes. Scene is carefully composed with red curtain framing him. Set standard for french portraiture: versailles, france, begun 1669. Embodiment of political control of landscape and france itself. Everything is on axis for versailles park: compare to capitol and. Paintings on ceiling depict louis" reign: francois girardon and thomas regnaudin , apollo attended by the. Incredible propaganda and glorification of louis xiv: georges de la tour , mary magdalen with the smoking flame c. 1640. Extreme light/dark contrast; candle is the source of light. Characterized by large scale figures that take up majority of scene.
