The Louvre opens an exhibition of drawings by Antoine-Jean Gros
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, December 7, 2024


The Louvre opens an exhibition of drawings by Antoine-Jean Gros
Antoine-Jean Gros, Alexandre et Bucephale. RMN-Grand Palais, musee du Louvre-Michel Urtado.



PARIS.- One of Jacques-Louis David’s (1748–1825) most famous pupils, and known as the painter of the Napoleonic epic, Antoine-Jean Gros is rightly considered a forerunner of Romanticism.

Early on, his drawings, more so than his paintings, began to reveal a gradual shift away from David’s teachings, leading to a definitive break with neoclassical aesthetics and a distinct style heralding the new artistic movement.

Organized to accompany the publication of the Inventaire général des dessins d’Antoine-Jean Gros (1771-1835) au Louvre (General Inventory of the Drawings of Antoine-Jean Gros (1771–1835) at the Louvre), this exhibition features about forty drawings, as well as paintings from the museum’s collection and the Musée national Eugène Delacroix. It offers an overview of Gros’s career, from his training to the peak of his artistic maturity, and highlights his draftsmanship, of which the public knows very little.

The Musée du Louvre houses the world’s largest collection of drawings by Antoine-Jean Gros, containing 438 drawings in four sketchbooks (the last one acquired in November 2018) and 17 on loose sheets, including the spirited Alexander and Bucephalus, presented to the museum by the Société des Amis du Louvre (Friends of the Louvre) in 2017. In his most dramatic drawings, executed in pen and ink, Gros’s free, impetuous style and liberal use of wash accentuate the strength and originality of his art, which led Delacroix to single the artist out from David’s other pupils and consider him the first painter of the new school.

The exhibition begins with Gros’s artistic training in David’s studio (1785–1793) alongside other painters of his generation who would make a name for themselves, such as Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson and François Gérard. The second section focuses on his long stay in Italy (1793–1800), where Gros spent his days copying classical art and works by masters, and experienced considerable hardship until his encounter with Napoleon Bonaparte in Milan in late 1796. It is well known that the meeting was a momentous event in Gros’s life, as it led to the commission of the famous portrait of General Bonaparte at Arcole, which marked the beginning of his successful career as a painter. The sketch painted for the portrait will be displayed next to a drawn profile portrait.

Gros’s return to France is presented in the third section of the exhibition. Several drawings recall his status as the uncontested master of depictions of Napoleon’s military victories, an accolade the painter acquired upon his return to France. The famous battle scenes painted in the first decade of the 19th century — some of which are on view in the Mollien room, on level 1 of the Denon wing — bear testimony to the painter’s great skill. These paintings inspired the first generation of Romantics, as illustrated by several of Géricault’s works, which were heavily influenced by Gros.

The exhibition concludes with Gros’s isolated attempts to paint in a more classical manner following the fall of the First Empire and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Paradoxically, these paintings heralded the peak of his career under Louis XVIII and Charles X, during which time Gros was recognized and highly admired by the monarchy, showered with honors and, in 1824, elevated to the rank of baron.

EXHIBITION CURATOR: Laura Angelucci, documentary researcher, Department of Prints and Drawings, Musée du Louvre.










Today's News

August 5, 2019

Egypt displays restoration of Tutankhamun gilded coffin

London's Tate Modern evacuated after child falls, teen arrested

Exhibition presents key paintings and works on paper created between 1950 and 1969 by Helen Frankenthaler

Special exhibition presents highlights of Dresden's Old Masters Picture Gallery

10 Years of MKdW: Masterpieces from the Romantic period to Modernism

The Louvre opens an exhibition of drawings by Antoine-Jean Gros

Phillips announces 'Andy Warhol's Lenin' works from the archive of Galerie Klüser

Japan halts exhibit of Sout Korea's 'comfort women' statue

L.A. Louver announces the passing of artist Don Suggs at 74 years of age

Marciano Art Foundation opens Anna Uddenberg's first institutional show in the U.S.

'Painted by ghosts': Chinese bottle art revived by Peppa Pig

Swann Galleries to offer newly surfaced volumes from Herman Melville's personal library

Exhibition at the Rencontres d'Arles celebrates the 50th anniversary of Motown

10th International Printmaking Exhibition of Cremona announces exhibitions

The Foundation for the Promotion of Contemporary Art in Weidingen exhibits new works by Zhang Wei

Emma Lavigne appointed president of Palais de Tokyo

Museum of Fine Arts, St Petersburg announces new trustees

The Ravestijn Gallery exhibits Mathieu Asselin's 'Monsanto®: A Photographic Investigation'

Exhibition brings together the work of over 25 contemporary artists who use innovative imaging strategies

Exhibition examines the ways in which artists use assemblage as a means to deconstruct a fixed identity

The Jewish Museum launches new audio tours featuring a range of perspectives, available on all devices

Turner Auctions + Appraisals to offer the Julianna Southall Glumac collection of art & decorative arts

Schilt Publishing to release Dear Mr. Picasso: An illustrated love affair with freedom by Fred Baldwin

Rosemary Laing honoured at 35th Higashikawa International Photography Festival

How to advertise and promote your business on facebook? Simple guide to get real results

3 Unconventional Ways to Invest Your Money

What Were Some of the Biggest Art Sales Last Year?

Most Recognized Sports in the Globe

Attorneys for Police Brutality

Five huge esports problems




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful