"Self-portrait with a black dog" , written Courbet in 1842, is striking in the self-confidence emanating from the figure of a young artist.
Courbet is dressed in the manner of a naturalist: he has both artistic vision and practical knowledge (let's not forget that Courbet comes from a peasant family). A black dog with long wavy hair sitting nearby not only emphasizes the curls of Courbet himself, but, echoing the flowing silhouette of his cape, is a kind of embodiment of nature that has submitted to the artist.
The aesthetics of Mannerism, coupled with the general plastic structure of the picture, as well as quite specific details such as the emphasis on the hand, lead to comparisons with the “Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror” by the young Parmigianino, who came to conquer Rome in 1524.
Already under this early "Self-portrait with a black dog" one can sign Courbet's later statement, "the roar of the ocean is powerful, but it will not drown out the roar of my glory." Definitely, Courbet is determined: posture, proudly tossed head, dark clothes give him a resemblance to some mysterious prince who returned from exile to take his throne. Three decades will pass, Courbet will indeed go into exile, and self-portraits depicting a beautiful brunette will give way to allegorical still lifes with a bleeding trout.
Similar fashion style: Jaco Van den Hoven
Name: Eugene Delacroix
Age: 15 years
Classmate Eugene Delacroix later recalled the appearance of Delacroix as a teenager: “ A boy with olive skin, twinkling eyes, a lively face, sunken cheeks, with a mocking smile that always played on his lips. He was thin, with a graceful figure, and his thick, wavy dark hair testified to the southern origin.". Well, such a description quite satisfies the earliest portrait made by the artist's uncle. However, a more complete picture of the facial features of the young Delacroix is given by a watercolor painted a few years later. The author is unknown, which, however, is not surprising: his style was clearly not distinguished by originality, although this is precisely why this portrait is of particular interest to us. Let's hope for the conscientiousness of the artist, who is not carried away by painting so much as to distort the features of the person being portrayed in the pursuit of expressiveness.
A large head, the main object of ridicule of peers, in lush large curls, wide cheekbones and a pointed chin with a dimple - the face of the young man depicted in the portrait would fit perfectly into the heart-medallion.
A vague, very indefinite smile plays on parted lips, “curving” one corner up; brows barely furrowed; the gaze of large eyes, gentle and inquisitive at the same time, is directed somewhere to the side more than is required to create a “noble angle”, as if something had attracted his attention. Here it is, an illustration of Jullien's words about Delacroix's childhood: In the midst of a game or in the middle of a lesson, he could, forgetting everything, plunge into thoughtfulness, and then suddenly daydreaming was replaced by tides of some kind of violent activity, and then he turned out to be much livelier and more mischievous than his comrades.» .
Similar fashion style: Benjamin Eidem
Name: Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
Age: 20 years
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| Jacques Louis David, "Portrait of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres", 1800. |
In an early portrait by David, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres he is still very young, but, unlike Delacroix, who is just as young in the portrait of Géricault, he can by no means be called a boy. Despite the childish roundness of the face and disheveled, like a sparrow, hair, the posture of the future leader of French academicism radiates calm confidence, purposefulness is read in the stubborn fold coming from the corner of the lips, and in the frowned eyebrows - compare them with Delacroix's perplexedly raised semicircles of eyebrows - one feels perseverance. The overall color scheme - warm, very "earthly" - reinforces the impression of a person who looks at things sensibly, which is produced by the face of a young man.
It was these qualities - perseverance, integrity of character, seriousness - that distinguished Ingres, judging by the memoirs of Etienne Delescluse, back in David's workshop. The early formation of character was also facilitated by the financial difficulties that Ingres faced in his youth: his parents did not have much wealth, and at the same time as studying painting in Toulouse, he played in the orchestra of the Capitol Theater. The situation will change for the better with Ingres moving to Paris, where, having gained some fame as the best student of David, the young artist began to make money with portraits. The relationship between the legendary Jacques-Louis David and his new student was not easy. David's alienation from his model is also felt in the portrait of 1800 under consideration: it seems that David does not seek to penetrate the character of Ingres, and he, in turn, is in no hurry to reveal himself to him.
Similar fashion style: Niels Butler
IV
Name: Pablo Picasso
Age: 19 years
One of the favorite metaphors of the 20th century is a mirror, a door to another world, a journey into which will almost certainly be risky and unpleasant. In the self-portrait, Picasso seems to be studying his own reflection, plucking up the courage to look at himself as he really is, not defending himself from the outside world with irony, not turning everything into a joke, not struggling with absorbing melancholy. He stands at a crossroads: whether to step into the dizzying depths, whether to stay on this side of external reality - and he chooses the first. It is not surprising, knowing that it was Picasso who, a little later, would open the cubist vision, the most important component of which is the look “from the inside”.
Similar fashion style: Bastian Van Gaalen
Name: Egon Schiele
Age: 17 years
Before in a creative manner Egon Schiele there was, in the literal sense, a dramatic turning point, his work, like himself, seemed so smooth, so combed. I can’t even believe that this rosy-cheeked schoolboy with a bow and a neurotic disheveled devil with paintings full of desperate exhibitionism are one and the same person. However, the boy is not as simple as it might seem: he was created not from flesh and blood, but from some super-heavy pictorial substance that has a colossal charge of dark energy. Pay attention to the eyes: so big, they should seem beautiful, but, devoid of protein, they are devoid of any human expression. These are the eyes of a beast, the eyes of a being, not a man. A bluish light falls on the face and a strand of thick hair, finally depriving the colorful field of any hint of warmth and comfort. A healthy blush turns into a feverish glow, and a pleasant smile into an ambiguous smirk.
A keen interest among researchers was the question of why Gustave Courbet created more than twenty self-portraits during the 1840s. Some believed that Courbet, who had a beautiful appearance, simply admired his face. Others believed that the artist considered himself the most accessible model, since at that time he lived in great need and sometimes even had to draw on wrapping paper.
French painter, graphic artist, sculptor Gustave Courbet was born in Combes-au-Rho near Ornans in the family of a wealthy farmer who had vast lands. The father dreamed that his son would become a lawyer, but the legal career did not fascinate Gustave, who chose the profession of an artist for himself. In Besancon, he attended a drawing school, where his teacher was S. A. Flajulo, a student of J. L. David. For his extraordinary abilities, his comrades called Courbet "the king of colors."
In 1840, the future painter arrived in Paris, where, at the request of his father, he began to study at the school of law. In his free time, Courbet came to the Louvre and other Parisian museums and made copies there from paintings by famous masters. He was especially admired by the works of Rembrandt, D. Velazquez, J. Ribera, T. Gericault, E. Delacroix. The young man also visited the workshop of Suisse, where he painted sitters.
Courbet was poor, because his father, dissatisfied with his choice, sent his son little money. Gustave rented a cheap apartment and often went hungry in order to find funds for paints, paper and canvases. He stubbornly wrote, but his paintings were not in demand.
Among the most famous works of Courbet written during this period is the famous "Self-Portrait with a Black Dog" (1842-1845, Petit Palais, Paris). This is not just a portrait, but a portrait-painting in which the viewer sees a landscape with a rock, a figure of an artist sitting on the ground, a large black dog, a stick and an album for sketches. So Courbet tells everyone not only about his profession, but also about his love for the world around him. The person depicted on the canvas looks at us with a sense of superiority, he is confident in his abilities, brave and independent.
Some theatricality is felt in other self-portraits of the master, among which is the painting known as "Wounded" (Louvre, Paris). There is also a carefully crafted landscape background (a clearing, a tree trunk where the artist is sitting) and details that give the composition a narrative (a sword and a red spot on the model's shirt).
The image itself is quite romantic: the eyes of the person being portrayed are covered, sadness and pain are frozen on his face. All these details indicate that the character is suffering from a wound inflicted on him in a duel. But this is only a superficial look at the picture, which is, in fact, a kind of hoax. If you look closely at the canvas, you can see that the hero was only overcome by fatigue. A slight blush is noticeable on his cheeks, and hidden strength and energy are felt in the whole figure. The optimism of the composition is also emphasized by the nature of the stroke - sweeping and dynamic.
Also of interest is the self-portrait "Man with a Leather Belt" (1845-1846, Louvre, Paris), testifying to Courbet's deep interest in the masters of the Renaissance. There is something in this picture from Rembrandt and the Dutch portrait painters of the 17th century, although the author himself stated that the work of D. Velasquez was a model for him here. Undoubtedly, there remains a huge influence on Courbet of old artists, whose works he copied in the Louvre. Researchers have determined that "Man with a Leather Belt" was painted over a copy of Titian's painting "Portrait of a Young Man with a Glove". Courbet's self-portraits, presented in chronological order, show not only how the artist's appearance changed over the years, but also how his attitude to the world changed. In more mature self-portraits, there is no former energy and optimism, as well as increased emotionality.
G. Courbet. "Self-portrait with a black dog", 1842-1845, Petit Palais, Paris
Before us appears a mature and wise man. Courbet himself admitted: "In my life I created many portraits as my way of thinking changed. In a word, I painted my life."
Over time, Courbet ceases to paint the background so carefully and transfers all his attention to the face of the model.
In the 1840s, the artist painted many portraits of his relatives. Among the best - "Juliette Courbet" (1844, Petit Palais, Paris). The artist depicted his younger sister Juliette sitting in a chair with a wicker back. The obvious discrepancy between the appearance of the model and the background is striking: a young girl, dressed in a modest dress, is shown against the backdrop of a magnificent drapery, more appropriate for a ceremonial portrait of the 17th century. In this detail, the master's desire for a theatrical, playful beginning, a hoax, characteristic of his early self-portraits, was affected.
Courbet sent his portraits to the Salon, but the jury each time rejected them.
Among the models of the master were not only relatives, but also friends, as well as people close to him in spirit. Poets, writers, philosophers posed for the artist.
One of the earliest paintings showing representatives of the intellectual environment of the capital is "Portrait of Charles Baudelaire" (1847-1848, Fabre Museum, Montpellier). The inspired characterization of the model is emphasized by the objects of the environment: books, a table with a folder, an inkwell. It is difficult to catch the expression of the moving face of the poet. Working on the portrait, Courbet complained: "I don't know how to finish the portrait of Baudelaire, every day his expression changes." The complexity of Baudelaire's nature discouraged the artist, who strove for clarity of images in his portraits. The artist never put the final strokes on the canvas and in this way conveyed the essence of the character of his model.
More definitely and unambiguously, Courbet described the famous critic and art historian in his "Portrait of Chanfleurie" (1854, Louvre, Paris). Against a dark background, the face of a person stands out, the essence of which is completely clear and understandable to the viewer. Chanfleurie is democratic, intelligent and thoughtful. Many other portraits of Courbet evoke the same thoughts ("Portrait of Bruyas", 1854, Fabre Museum, Montpellier; "Portrait of Valles", 1861, Carnavalet Museum, Paris). The people depicted on the canvases, for Courbet, are primarily like-minded people who are close to him in terms of convictions.
G. Courbet. "Juliette Courbet", 1844, Petit Palais, Paris
The "Portrait of Pierre-Joseph Proudhon" (1865, Petit Palais, Paris) stands somewhat apart.
Courbet included the figure of the famous philosopher in the landscape and placed images of two children in the composition. The artist had great respect for the personality of Proudhon and, probably, therefore, called this portrait historical, although he was not. Courbet began the portrait after the death of Proudhon and used photography and a lifetime image of the philosopher by another master. Perhaps as a result of this, the image of Proudhon, despite the obvious external resemblance, turned out to be unconvincing and lifeless.
In male portraits there is no that sincerity and emotionality that is present in female portrait images ("Spanish Woman", 1855, private collection, Philadelphia; "Portrait of Madame Brier", 1858, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York).
At the same time, some images of women testify to the master's attempts to express his understanding of beauty in these images. Courbet admires the sensual charm of his models, their physical perfection. Such is the "Portrait of Joe" ("The Beautiful Irish Woman", 1865, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; version - in the National Museum, Stockholm). The painting depicts Joanna, the beloved of the painter James Whistler. The delighted artist conveys the luxurious red hair of a girl looking in a small mirror, her tender face. This image is close in spirit to the famous Titian's "Venus looking in the mirror". Among the most famous masterpieces of Courbet is the painting "Funeral at Ornans" (1850, Louvre, Paris), which combined elements of two genres - portraiture and everyday life. The canvas depicts a provincial funeral, but the action is almost not felt, and therefore the viewer can carefully examine all the characters in the composition: relatives of the deceased, servants, clerks, the mayor of the city, a notary, a priest, a gravedigger and other people who came to the cemetery. Interestingly, almost every depicted had its own real prototype. The inhabitants of Ornans crowded near the workshop of Courbet, dreaming that the artist would capture them in the picture.
G. Courbet. "Self-portrait with a pipe", 1846-1847, Fabre Museum, Montpellier
In each of his characters, the painter seeks to show individual character traits. The viewer sees different people: cunning, smart, strong-willed, hypocritical. And at the same time, they all have something similar, typical. There is no spirituality in the faces of down-to-earth and practical Ornans. Presenting each model separately, Courbet created a general portrait of the French province with its inertness, backwardness of thinking. The author's idea is emphasized by the restrained color scheme, gravitating towards black and white shades, and the dense texture of the picture.
Another significant work of Courbet in the portrait genre is "Atelier" (1855, Louvre, Paris), which became the artistic embodiment of the painter's creative creed. In the center of the picture we see Courbet himself, around him are his like-minded people, whose portrait images are turned into allegories. So, Baudelaire personifies Poetry, Chanfleurie - Prose, Proudhon - Philosophy, etc.
"From what monster... could this bastard come from? Under what cap, on what dung heap, poured with a mixture of wine, beer, poisonous saliva and stinking mucus, this empty and hairy pumpkin grew, this womb, pretending to be a man and an artist, this is the embodiment of an idiotic and powerless," wrote angrily Alexandre Dumas son about the painting by Gustave Courbet "Sleepers"(1866). I wonder what the great writer would say when he saw the painting "The Origin of the World", which was shown to the public only at the end of the 20th century - a century and a half after its creation? For a long time, the scandalous painting was in a private collection, now it is exhibited in the Musée d'Orsay. Until now, a security guard has been assigned to her, designed to prevent the violent reaction of the audience.
Gustave Courbet considered the founder of a new artistic style - realism. Richard Muther wrote: "He was hated for the fact that, in perfection with his skill, he wrote as naturally as others eat, drink or talk." Indeed, the artist's work generated high-profile scandals throughout his life.
Courbet was born on June 10, 1819 in Ornans, near the Swiss border. His father owned vineyards near Ornan. In 1831, the young man began attending the seminary in Ornans, and in 1837, at the insistence of his father, he entered the law college in Besançon. At this time, he also attended classes at the Academy, where his teacher was Charles-Antoine Flajulot, a student of the greatest French classicist Jacques-Louis David. In 1839, Courbet went to Paris, where he got acquainted with the art collection of the Louvre. He was especially impressed by the small Dutch and Spanish artists, especially Velázquez. The young man preferred jurisprudence to classes in art workshops. In 1844 his painting "Self-portrait with a dog" was exhibited at the Paris Salon (the rest of the paintings he proposed were rejected by the jury). In the same years, he painted a large number of self-portraits, visited Ornan several times, traveled around Belgium and the Netherlands, where he established contacts with art sellers. One of the buyers of his works was the Dutch artist and collector, one of the founders of the Hague school of painting Hendrik Willem Mesdag. In Paris he met Honore Daumier.
In the late 1840s, academicism was still the official trend in French painting, and the works of realistic artists were periodically rejected by exhibition organizers. In 1847, all three of his entries were rejected by the jury. The salon also did not accept paintings by such famous masters as Eugene Delacroix and Theodore Rousseau. In 1871, Courbet joined the Paris Commune, managed public museums under it and led the overthrow of the Vendome Column (a well-known symbol of Bonapartism). After the fall of the Commune, he spent six months in prison and was sentenced to replenish the costs of restoring the column he had destroyed. This forced the artist to retire to Switzerland, where he died in poverty on December 31, 1877.
"Evening Moscow" invites you to recall the most famous paintings by Gustave Courbet.
1. "Self-portrait with a black dog" (1842)
The first picture of Courbet, which had a real success, was painted in Paris. The artist depicted himself sitting on the ground at the entrance to the Plaisir-Fontaine grotto (not far from Ornan). To the left of him lie a cane and an album for sketches, to the right a black lop-eared spaniel stands out in a dark silhouette against the background of a sun-drenched landscape. In the sky and in the background are several test strokes made with a palette knife, an instrument that Courbet later used with great skill. In May 1842, Courbet wrote to his parents: "I got a lovely dog, a purebred English spaniel - it was given to me by one of my friends; everyone admires her, and in the house of Udo she is much more welcome than me." Two years later, this self-portrait will open the doors of the Salon to Courbet - an honor that all beginners strenuously strive for. The painting is currently kept in the Musée du Petite Palace in Paris.
2. "Afternoon at Ornan" (1849)
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The painting was conceived and partially painted before 1849, during one of the artist's visits to his hometown. It was completed already in Paris. Philologist and novelist Francis Vey wrote about his meeting with Courbet: "We were received by a tall young man with magnificent eyes, but skinny, pale, yellow, bony ... He silently nodded to me and sat down again on a stool in front of the easel, where the canvas" Afternoon in Ornans "was standing" .<...>Why haven't you become famous yet with such a rare, such a wonderful talent? I exclaimed. - No one has ever written like you!" - "That's right! - the artist replied with a peasant accent from Franche-Comté. “I write like a god!”
3. Stonebreakers (1849)
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In a letter to Francis Vey, Courbet describes this painting and talks about the circumstances that gave rise to her idea: "I rode our cart to the castle of Saint-Denis, near Sein-Vare, not far from Mézières, and stopped to look at two people - they were a complete I immediately thought that before me was the subject of a new painting, invited them both to my studio the next morning and since then I have been working on the picture ... on one side of the canvas is a seventy-year-old man, he is bent over at work, his hammer is raised up, tanned skin, head shaded by a straw hat, trousers of rough fabric all patched, heels sticking out of once blue torn socks and clogs bursting from the bottom.On the other side is a young guy with a dusty head and a swarthy face. Bare sides and shoulders are visible, leather suspenders hold up what were once trousers, holes are gaping in dirty leather shoes on all sides. Alas! This is how many people begin and end their lives." In the novel "Biez of Serin" written shortly thereafter, Francis Wey almost verbatim used phrases from Courbet's letter, describing two stone-crushers by the side of the road. Famous French politician, philosopher and sociologist Pierre Joseph Proudhon in 1864 he called Courbet the first truly social artist, and "The Stone Crushers" - the first social picture.
4. "Hello, Mr. Courbet!" (1854)
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In May 1954, Courbet traveled to Montpellier at the invitation of a well-known philanthropist and collector Alfred Bruyat. In the painting, the artist depicted himself with a cane and a knapsack behind his back at the moment when Bruyet, a servant and a dog met him on the road. The painting, painted with extreme realism, made a sensation at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1855. Courbet was declared the champion of a new anti-intellectual art, free from the conventions of academic painting. Courbet painted pictures based on real subjects, and this, in particular, had a serious influence on the work of the Impressionists. They say that when he was asked to finish the figures of angels in a picture intended for the church, he replied: "I have never seen an angel. Show me an angel, and I will paint it."
5. Sleepers (1866)
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In the picture, which literally blew up bourgeois Europe, two naked women lie in an embrace on a bed covered with a white sheet, as a result of which the scene that appears before the viewer seems to be a scene of lesbian love. A torn pearl necklace and a messy bed sheet only reinforce this feeling. The canvas outraged the public to such an extent that the press literally exploded with an indignant scream. The artistic value of the picture became apparent only years later, when the scandal subsided.
1697-1764Self-portrait with dog Trump
1745. Oil on canvas, 90x65. Tate Gallery, London.
William Hogarth - a major English painter, engraver of the Rococo period, art theorist, author of the famous "Analysis of Beauty". Already in childhood, he showed an interest in drawing and a phenomenal memory, which made it possible to memorize many unrelated details. At the age of 16, Hogarth entered the apprenticeship of the silver carver E. Gamble and mastered not only the art of decorative carving, but also engraving on copper. In 1720 Hogarth began his career in art. The first experiments of the artist were connected with engraving and graphics, and the illustrations for S. Butler's "Gudibras" (published in 1726) became the first major work. In the late 1720s, Hogarth became known as a master of small group portraits. He worked in other genres, successfully proved himself as the creator of satirical works. Self-portrait with his beloved dog Trump is one of Hogarth's most famous works. The effect of "deception" is used here: the portrait is, as it were, installed on the volumes of Shakespeare, Swift, Milton. So the artist paid tribute to literature, capable of arguing with painting. Surrounded by draperies, the portrait resembles a mirror in which the image of the artist is displayed. Other famous works: "Girl with shrimps". Early 1760s. National Gallery, London; "Mrs Salter" 1744. Tate Gallery, London; "Children of the Graham Family". 1742. Tate Gallery, London.
