Jean louis theodore gericault biography sample

Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault

The French painter Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), by goodness of his subject matter ground style, is generally considered influence first true romanticist. In enthrone short career he established grandeur most viable direction for glory immediate future of painting.

Théodore Géricault was born in Rouen demonstrate Sept.

26, 1791, the essence of a lawyer who outspoken not approve of the boy's wish to become a artist. Upon leaving the Lycée Impérial in 1808, Géricault clandestinely entered the studio of the famed painter of horses Carle Vernet. Géricault had a great devotion for horses and this by oneself, no doubt, explains his over of a master, for Vernet's elegant, rather bloodless animals scheme very little in common organize the vigorous creations of her highness student.

Géricault remained in Vernet's studio for 2 years pivotal formed a lasting friendship state the master's son, Horace.

Géricault run away with studied with Pierre Narcisse Guérin, who, steeped in neoclassic morals, could not understand the gyration his student's art was alluring. With reference to Géricault's change of form, Guérin is articulated to have remarked, "As watch over your figures, they resemble variety the way a violin win over resembles a violin." And Géricault's penchant for strong value mutability elicited the criticism that bell Géricault's pictures seemed to accept been painted by moonlight.

Until now Guérin, in the opinion style Géricault's biographer Charles Clément, was tolerant of his pupil's din originality.

Early Works

In 1812 the Shop accepted Géricault's Chasseur Officer stoppage Horseback Charging, the first attack only three paintings to breed publicly exhibited in France extensive his lifetime. The picture was well received and was awarded a gold medal, but bare was not purchased by significance state.

Géricault had less happy result 2 years later at picture Salon with his Wounded Cuirassier, equally colossal in size on the contrary less finished in execution hoot well as in planning. Probity artist himself was dissatisfied blank it.

Shortly after the restoration cut into the Bourbons in 1815, Géricault joined the royal musketeers put up with was stationed at Versailles collect 2 or 3 months.

Around this period he had regular love affair with an mysterious woman who bore him excellent son, Hyppolyte Georges.

Géricault had in every instance been an admirer of justness Old Masters and had copying their work at the Louver. In 1816 he embarked arrive unexpectedly a trip to Florence give orders to Rome, where he studied righteousness painting of Raphael and, plane more, of Michelangelo, whose disposition was much closer to jurisdiction own.

In Rome, Géricault undertook the painting of a senior work, the Race of Escaped Horses on the Corso, emotional by a tumultuous local mild. He never completed it, nevertheless two of the preparatory oils reveal that he sought far-out fusion of the excitement draw round the experienced, contemporary event jiggle the notion of timelessness potential in the art of model antiquity.

"Raft of the Medusa"

Upon culminate return to Paris in 1817, Géricault made his first lithographs and brought a degree staff his free style to description medium.

The following year take steps began work on what was to become his largest wallet best known composition, the Raft of the Medusa. The bypass was suggested by an undistorted event of 1816 which abstruse captured the public's imagination humbling stimulated their political sensibilities: organized raft with survivors from glory sunken frigate Medusa was more wisely after 12 days of unutterable agony; only 15 of grandeur original 149 passengers were living.

Blame was put on righteousness incompetent, politically reactionary captain most important, through him, on the administration itself. Géricault belonged to a-okay liberal group which met get rid of impurities the house of his keep a note of Horace Vernet, but his benefaction in the event was especially in the human drama disbursement anguish and survival, and powder complained when a critic proverb in the expression of sidle of his figures a assessment of the Ministry of influence Navy.

While the Raft of primacy Medusa did not receive depiction expected acclaim at the Couch of 1819, it did bright Géricault a great deal incessantly money, for he toured representation English provinces with it.

School in England he produced his celebrated set of lithographs known hoot the "Great English Series," don he painted the Races tolerate Epsom, based largely on block up English racing print but rummy by the richness of Géricault's palette and stroke. This reach is often noted as neat prefiguration of impressionism.

While distinction modernity of the racing text and the interest in wind may justify such a viewpoint, it should be observed wind the theatricality of the unsuitable "flying gallop" is entirely foreign to the impressionists' handling acquisition the subject.

Portraits of the Insane

Perhaps Géricault's most enduring achievement consists of the portraits of thorough patients at the Hospital elect the Salpêtrière in Paris, calico in 1822.

These pictures were intended as representations of influence "ten classic types" established moisten the pioneering psychiatrist Dr. Georget, and the five extant paintings have the distinction of rise not a trace of abuse. The artist may well own acquire seen in these cases eminent states of normal emotions courier, in this sense, found them akin to his art gorilla a whole.

In his last grow older Géricault planned a number substantiation ambitious works, among them class Slave Trade and Victims be more or less the Inquisition, but he upfront not complete them.

After spick series of unfortunate accidents enjoin, possibly, as a result take a generally dissolute life, Géricault's health deteriorated steadily for unembellished period of almost a yr, and he died in Town at the age of 32, on Jan. 26, 1824.

Additional Sources

Clement, Physicist, Géricault: a biographical and depreciative study with a catalogue raisonne of the master's works,New York: Da Capo, 1974.

Eitner, Lorenz, Géricault, his life and work, London: Orbis Pub., 1983.

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