Hyacinthe Rigaud
Portrait of Antoine Paris 1724
Antoine Paris (1688-1733) The eldest of four brothers and sons of an innkeeper, Antoine and his brothers all became exceedingly wealthy financiers during the early 18th century. Antoine’s siblings and himself were banished in 1726 when Cardinal Fleury became Louis XV’s first minister.
“Portrait of Antoine”
This painting was created using Oil paint on canvas by Hyacinthe Rigaud and has the dimensions of 144.7 x 110.5cm. Antoine Paris is shown to be seated in a library beside an elaborate table with the base of an immense column to one side and a vase to the other. He is clutching a blue velvet drapery as glances at an unseen source.
Hyacinthe RIgaud (1659 - 1745) Rigaud was considered to be one of the leading French portrait painters of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was the official painter of Louis XIV and also worked for his successor, Louis XV.
Antoine is painted sat upon a seated and luxurious chair that is centrally placed. He is looking off to the right (towards an unseen person) and indicates a relaxed expression towards the viewers of this painting. Riguad has painted Antoine to have a smugness about him - with a quirk of a grin present and a frownless face. His wig symbolises wealth, along with his elaborate clothing choice - the rich blue velvets draping over him with the long line mahogany coat and pure, white, fine laced ruffles along his collar and cuffs. The fact that his neck is evidently showing skin suggests a further relaxed mood and a carelessness to what everyone will think when they see this painting.
The lighter tones of this painting have been built up to create the appearance of a raking light effect. It is very dramatic and is projecting from an unseen light source. It highlights the main points of this painting - the sitter and the foreground features. The light creates tonal modelling within the piece as Antoine has been placed in a library/study with a darker background that displays books, a column and a vase. These objects all show status.
Status can be shown through an individual's clothing and setting. Antoine is seen in expensive looking fabrics that have been painted to show a beautiful texture - the way that the oil paint has been applied leaves the fabric elegantly catching the light when painted strewed across the figures lap. Alongside the expensive looking fabrics, status and wealth is further exhibited through the display of the vast amount of books on the bookcase situated in the background. They suggest he was well educated and can read well. The Greek vase is pictured in the top left corner of this painting and although is not the centre of attention in this piece (because of its shadowy aspect), still symbolises an experience of travelling by Antoine and therefore wealth in order to achieve that.
Rigaud painted the likes of the French KIng Louis XIV who built versailles. Rigaud has painted Antoine to have rosy cheeks which was a trend for women and men to show off in his era (late 15th, early 16th century). The use of wearing a wig conveys the image of a rich man as he could afford to purchase fake hair, which was also very trendy at the time. Looking at Rigaud’s other paintings, he follows art of the Baroque era and just touching the Rococo.
Jacques-Louis David
The Death of Marat 1793 “La Mort de Marat”
“The Death of Marat”
This neoclassical painting was created by Jacques-Louis David in 1793. This composition was created using Oil paints on a canvas that measured 162 x 128cm. It is located in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium.
This painting is of the radical republican Jean-Paul Marat. He has been painted in his bath, which is where he would spend most of his time, as he had a terrible skin condition, where he was brutally assassinated by the moderate Charlotte Corday on 13th July 1793. The dying Marat slumps in his bath with his arm dangling limp, still holding his quill pen and note from Corday. His body is idealised as there are no signs of his skin problems, and the stark setting is very reminiscent of the artwork of a 17th century Baroque artist called Caravaggio. This concept of Marat’s form presented like this stirred up some rivalry, as he appears to be representing Christ with his trailing arm. The viewers may understand that this key image during death would mean resurrection (of Marat). David paid tribute to Marat with the inscription on the packing case that Marat used as a desk.
The French Revolution was the main inspiration for this painting. Jacques-Louis David was part of a group of people against the monarchy. They were known as the National Convention that was led by Maximilien Robespierre and the Jacobins (a French political club), which included the artist of this painting, David. The National Convention would eventually vote to execute King Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie Antoinette. France then became a republic it was governed with no King or Queen. David was not a popular individual. So much so that this particular painting was banned in France and still is to this day. The artist was imprisoned for portraying the “Death of Marat” in a euphoric way.
Jean-Paul Marat is placed in the foreground of this painting and all attention is drawn to him. The lighting is bright, above and behind him, symbolising this person to be of importance or innocence. This is further portrayed by the use of a stark black background, as the painter is telling his viewers that this artwork is all about Marat (his friend) and nothing else that could be irrelevant to him. David has taken years off his Marat’s face and body and using white robes and clothes presents yet more purity and innocence which is not deserved by this murderous man. It altogether portrays an angelic atmosphere that deceives the viewer of Marat’s true past.
Marat’s pose resembles someone who is gently slipping from life to death - it is natural and graceful, which is a huge contradiction of the person he was in his life. Jean-Paul Marat saw himself as a friend of the French people. He was coincidentally the editor of the magazine Ami du Peuple (friend of the people). David paints his fellow Jacobin party member in the moments after he was murdered by Charlotte Corday, although his facial expression shows no pain - it is relaxed and a subtle smile has been painted. She was a supporter of the aristocracy and the Monarchy. This painting is a piece of propaganda for the National Convention, promoting the republican cause.
The letter that Marat is holding delicately suggests Corday’s presence. In French, it reads “ Il suffit que je sois bien malheureuse pour avoir droit a votre bienveillance”. It translates to “Given that I am unhappy, I have the right to your help” in English.
The tone of this painting is very dramatic. This is because the chiaroscuro of Marat’s body against the dark, plain background creates a focus on his body and the details around him only. This creates a very morbid atmosphere and at first a sympathetic outlook over the painting for viewers unaware of the person’s background .
The weapon that Charlotte Corday used to murder Marat is found in the bottom left hand corner of the painting. According to the forensic evidence of his death, the knife was actually left impaled in his chest, not on the floor and not the main focus of the painting. David may have done this to depict a further idealised death of his friend - the knife is not the centre of attention in this piece but painted fairly small and out of the way - on the ground. This also mirrors the “Entombment of Christ” which share the same drama and light, also suggesting that Marat could come back to life, as the knife is not how it was supposed to be left,n but maybe in the form of yet a continued revolution.