The Gallery Meerkat

I saw this at the Wallace Collection.  It’s a historically significant work of art.

Carle van Loo was part of the 18th century French Rococo movement, and especially the “Turquerie” trend of the time.

This was a European artistic trend for “Oriental” scenes (v. popular in the 18th century). It was a reflection of the French aristocracy’s fascination with the exotic East. And, as the Wallace Collection argue, one of the “best examples of the Turquerie”. It was exhibited at the Salon of 1737 and was one of a famous pair.

The “mistress” is singing positioned to the left of the Grand Turk, leaning in towards a musical score. Laden with symbolism.

Last year, I visited the Wallace Collection, and enjoyed The Venus Series by François Boucher, the Rococo master. 

The series is a celebrated group of three large-scale vertical paintings. The fourth got added into the mix years afterwards.

I really like Rococo. I think they are wonderful, silly and a pure aesthetic delight. I think today this art is considered rather passe. The colour palettes and forms are a wonderful way to explore ideas about femininity and luxury, even modern ones.

The Judgment of Paris by François Boucher (1754)

The central panel. Gorgeous.

Rococo was all about lightness, charm, and curves. The cherubs are a decorative tool to better frame the composition. The tree goddesses do look like they could be sisters.

It depicts one of the most famous incidents of Greek mythology, leading to the Trojan War. It follows the story of Paris, a prince of Troy, who is forced to settle a dispute between three goddesses over who is the fairest: Juno, Minerva, and Venus. He picks Venus. In the myth of the judgment, she won the contest by bribing Paris. She promised him the hand of the most beautiful mortal woman in the world: Helen of Sparta.

Mars and Venus Surprised by Vulcan by François Boucher (1754)

Love it. So magical.

In this dramatic composition of Boucher’s masterpiece, Vulcan (the Roman name for a Greek god) is the husband of Venus. He plays the role of the “wronged husband” who has just caught his wife in an affair with Mars, the god of war.

Cupid a Captive by François Boucher (1754)

Wonderful.  Based on the popular theme of love disarmed.

Wonderful.

Pieter de Hooch moved from Delft to Amsterdam around 1660-61, so this masterpieces is from the outset of his Amsterdam period (so, still Delft-influenced).

It’s the classic theme of Dutch virtue in genre paintings - a polite/industrious boy, with a basket of bread, offering some to a respectable lady standing in the doorway of her perfect & orderly home.

As always with de Hooch, a technical tour de force.

 

   

A charming painting.

My first time seeing Paulus Potter.

He was a minor artist of the Dutch Golden Age struck down by Tuberculosis at a v. young age. He specialised in animal painting and landscapes with the cattle as the principal subject.

In this painting, two cows and a sheep carefree under a tree on a warm summer’s day. The milkmaid is pushed to the background. It feels like the domestic animals are hanging out and relaxing together.

Paulus Potter was discussed on the blog bugwomanlondon in the following terms:

“artists who choose to make animals their subject – partly because of what it says about the attitude to animals at the time, and partly because the best painters seem to be able to incorporate the personality of the animal in such a way that it becomes a portrait.”

How apt.

A classic of Jan Steen’s “merrymaking” genre paintings of the Dutch Golden Age.

I saw this at the Wallace Collection in London.

The tavern scene is filled with a variety of funny characters - mother with baby, dancers, violin players (17th century DJ), children, onlookers, branches hanging from wiring at the ceiling, pets on the floor, plates and cutlery around. Jan Steen is putting on a theatrical show. He’s an agent of chaos & anarchy.

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I was reminded of a comment made by Nick (nickhereandnow) recently. According to the Wallace, the key symbol is once again depicted on the wall:

Steen’s Merrymaking in a Tavern combines the Flemish tradition of low-life tavern scenes with the more elegant Dutch merry companies. The lively description of the domestic muddle of mothers, children, dancers, musicians and onlookers creates a boisterous scene. The lack of a central motif reinforces the work’s naturalistic appearance, yet the composition is carefully constructed around a group of selected incidents. A key hangs on the back wall of the tavern, suspended between a dancing girl and an older quarrelsome couple, as a warning of where such mayhem might lead. The variety of human life is depicted, with an old woman praying next to a young boy at a table, an amorous seated couple, a bagpipe player, a group of men drinking on the right and a mother, baby and crouching boy in the foreground. Each of these characters illustrates human conduct at different ages.

While doing some research for this post, I came across an essay by Hailey Byrde. She uses a painting by Metsu to show how a bird depicted can have both a sexual connotation while touching a broader Dutch perception about women’s “place”. I think the key is very clearly sexual (key going into lock) while also referring to the house and home. A clever symbol.

Beautiful painting.

The interior is sumptuously painted: ornately-carved doorway, a gilt-framed painting, graceful harpsichord, and luxuriously adorned silks.

Jan Steen was a famous Dutch genre painter often depicting satirical images with a “moralistic” cautionary overtone.

According to the Wallace Collection:

Here, a mismatched pair of lovers forms the subject: an old fool, in outmoded dress, masquerades as the music teacher of a prim young girl, seated at a harpsichord. The large key hanging prominently in the centre of the picture is placed on a line above the hand of the old man, implying his desire. That, however, his advances go unnoticed is indicated by the painting above it. It shows Venus, the goddess of love, and Cupid, the god of erotic desire, both of whom are asleep.

The suggestion of the teacher exploiting the student may be the case - accounting for his senescence.

Dutch art is replete with the theme of music lessons as a pretext for courtship. It’s interesting that the student is appears oblivious (which makes it all the more unpleasant).

One of my favourite artists of those charming domestic genre paintings of the Dutch Golden Age is Pieter de Hooch.

As with Pieter de Hooch at the National Gallery, I love the architectural composition of the painting - the floor tiles, the ornate fireplace, the setting sunlight through the window.

   

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I saw this beautiful neoclassical sculpture at the Wallace collection.

That famous love & tragic story of ancient mythology.

Cupid (the God of love) unwittingly falls in love with Psyche  (Greek: “soul”) who is a mortal princess with a beauty that rivals the goddess Venus herself. 

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A v. famous subject of art - e.g. this is by the Italian Neoclassical sculptor Canova at the Louvre:

Ah ... the joys of life ... 

There is a wonderful intensity of colours. Soft, yet bright and vivid. Her pink dress almost like a glowing sun in a haunted forest with the men blending into the foliage. 

While the gentleman’s lascivious look is plain, her own is a slightly inscrutable? 

What is incredible is the artistic illusion of depth in the painting - which the swing occupies despite the branches making it impossible.

Extra:

Great write-up at My Daily Art Display.

The Rococo was an 18th century European art movement, which started in France, as a response to the high-brow, dramatic and serious art of the Baroque. It was the opposite of Baroque - lighthearted, elegant, playful, tongue-in-cheek.

It also suited the patrons of France: the aristocracy.

To modern audiences, I think it would seem too treacly or disjointed from “reality”. Rightly or wrongly, today we would have disdain for those patrons, and the subject matter would strike us as being trite or frivolity overkill. 

But, I think it’s a very interesting break in art history (in which everything is steeped in high meaning & context). The colours of the Rococo are also v. beautiful and even dazzling. 

These are from The Wallace Collection in Mayfair.

I thought I’d share it on my blog.

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Les Champs Élisées by Jean-Antoine Watteau

Watteau was one of the major figures of The Rococo.

It’s about theatricality, frivolity, and the elegant/dreamy life of the aristocracy. Elegant dresses, picturesque landscape, reclining figures, smiling and laughing.

The colours are dreamy.

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Les Charmes de la vie (The Pleasures of Life) by Jean-Antoine Watteau

Love it. One of my favourites.

A classic example of Watteau’s fête galante paintings in depicting idyllic scenes of leisure among the elegantly dressed aristocracy. 

I love the theatrical flair & pose of the central figure.

People flirting, playing with pets, and enjoying themselves.

You may notice the Black page boy - that’s interesting.

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A Girl in a Kitchen by Nicolas Lancret (1720s)

Nicolas Lancret was another key figures of The Rococo.

He also captures the lighthearted playfulness we see in Watteau’s work.

This painting is also known as The Flea Seeker.

This lady is inspecting herself for fleas!

Fleas have a different - and more amorous - connotation in literature and art though. So, the unlaced corset (which would be a private moment) is v. easily a suggestive painting.

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Voulez vous triompher des belles by Jean-Antoine Watteau

An old-fashioned poetic phrase: “Do you want to win the hearts of beautiful women?”

“In this painting, Watteau fused the idyllic vision of the pastoral with elements of the theatre. The painting is a beautiful example of Watteau’s approach to add actors off-stage - half-way between their stage persona and their proper self - to his peaceful and idealised outdoor scenes. Harlequin can be identified by his lozenged suit and black mask.”

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Dance before a Fountain by Nicolas Lancret

Another great painting. 

The colours, the imbalance of subjects, and the dynamic composition. The fluidity of the dancing aristocrats; and the grandeur of the ancient fountain.

There’s a real joy & charm to the central dancing couple.

Why a red dress? A striking detail which contrasts nicely against the muted colours of the park.

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A Gallant Conversation by Nicolas Lancret

Beautiful fete galante composition. The colour harmony is wonderful. 

The radiant dresses contrast wonderfully with the subdued neighbouring gardens.

I think the standing woman appears to be rebuffing her suitor’s advances. 

Otherwise, it’s flirtation and music.

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The Bird Catchers by Nicolas Lancret

Delightfully captures the spirit of The Rococo period.

Trees are wonderful - light used to create a sense of depth, detail of the foliage creates realism.

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Blind Man’s Bluff by Jean-Honoré Fragonard

Scenes of games, courtship and playfulness within a pastoral setting. Very suggestive, colours are again wonderful.

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The Swing (La conversation intéressant) by Jean-Baptiste Joseph Pater

Playful romance and flirting in a park-like setting.

Briefly a pupil of Watteau.

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Italian Comedians by a Fountain by Nicolas Lancret

Light and elegant, this early composition by Lancret in the fête galante style of Watteau. 

The composition centers on a group of characters from the Commedia dell’arte, a form of Italian improvised theater.

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A Tale from La Fontaine by Nicolas Lancret

This painting is from La Fontaine’s fables of the 17th century. They were based on the works of Aesop and Phaedrus, but La Fontaine gave a contemporary spin. 

This one isn’t very obvious. 

This fable is “The Little Dog who secretes Gold and Jewels”. The dog owner’s may be obsessed with the wealth the dog generates that they cannot enjoy the simple of pleasures of life. The spaniel conjures coins and jewels and everyone is obsessed with it.?

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Fête in a Wood by Nicolas Lancret

This fete galante is part of Lancret’s series “The Four Ages of Man”, with this one specifically representing Youth.

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A Lady at her Toilet by Jean-Antoine Watteau

Beautiful pastel work.

A different window in the aristocratic life, and quite suggestive. Can be no doubt about the affluence of this lady. She is seen putting on or removing her top, while her maid attends to her with a gown. 

This licentious subject was controversial:

The Watteau paintings present a rare opportunity to reassess this artist’s impact on the course of art history. Watteau’s artistic innovations went beyond his invention of the fête galante. The French tradition of depicting the female nude in a domestic setting, rather than as a goddess or a nymph, began in the 18th century. Watteau’s A Lady at her Toilet in the Wallace Collection is an early example of what might have been considered a controversial painting in its day and is one of only three surviving paintings by the artist in this new erotic genre. Watteau is said to have later repented and ordered that these paintings should be destroyed on this death.

I saw this painting at the Wallace Collection in London.

Reynolds captures the little girl’s innocence and vulnerability in a captivating way, esp. her imploring gaze in our direction. It’s an iconic painting.

She has a little basket in one arm with small red/orangy bits sticking out at the top - the strawberries.

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Notes:

When I saw this painting, it reminded me a little of Rembrandt. I had in mind his Saskia van Uylenburgh. According to the Wallace Collection:

On the streets of 18th-century London, strawberry sellers were a common sight. Frequently depicted in art as women, the strawberry seller in this painting by Reynolds has instead been depicted as a young girl, who has traditionally been identified as the artist’s niece. This is very much in keeping with the contemporary fashion for paintings portraying saints, gods and urchins as infants, which were referred to as ‘fancy pictures’. 

For this painting, it is possible Reynolds derived inspiration from the ‘fancy pictures’ of Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725–1805), whose work he saw when he visited Paris in 1771. He might also have influenced by Rembrandt van Rijn’s (1606–1669) paintings of young girls, particularly his popular Young Girl at a Window, which was in Paris for much of the 18th century (but is now at Dulwich Picture Gallery).

I took these photos from the Wallace collection in London.

These two sculptures have a historical connection - they both seem to have been inspired by the éclat of Bernini.

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Busts of King Louis XIV of France

Bernini.

This marble portrait of the French King was created by the French sculptor Antoine Coysevox. This is a latter copy.

He was probably influenced by the Bernini sculpture (created during Bernini’s visit to France in 1666). They were both contemporaries. 

His other famous works are the Louvre (where the original is found) and the Palace of Versailles collections.

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Busts of King Charles I of England

This is an interpretation by Louis-François Roubiliac of King Charles I of England.

He is considered one of the most important sculptors in London of the Rococo style. 

More lifelike, less “powerful” and more light. 

It seems this also had the hand of Bernini because, according to the Wallace Collection:

In 1636 Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the Italian master of Baroque sculpture, made a celebrated bust of Charles I of England. The bust, modelled after portraits painted by Anthony van Dyck, was lost in a fire of the Palace of Whitehall in 1698, but it continued to inspire sculptors long into the eighteenth century.

This bust is a free interpretation of Bernini’s sculpture by Roubiliac, a French sculptor who spent much of his career in England. It was made for George Augustus Selwyn, politician, for his Matson House.