Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/609

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In France. 579 studied in the National Gallery in a view of the Castle of S. Angelo, Borne, and a Landscape. He had a son, Antoine Charles Horace, called Carle, Vernet (1758 — 1835), who painted battle-pieces ; and who was the father of the cele- brated Horace Vernet, of whom we shall speak hereafter. Jean Baptiste Greuze (1725 — 1805) was born at Tournus, near Macon, and received his early education in art at Lyons. He was one of the first French painters to go to Nature for his subjects by taking his figures from rural life, and representing simple and touching village scenes. Some of these contain merely a comic incident, such as the Broken Bitcher ; others rise to pathetic drama, like the Father's Curse. The Village Bride is of intermediate style, more simple and graceful, and may be considered as the masterpiece of his transition style. These choice works, with five others, are in the Louvre. The gallery of Sir Richard Wallace contains twenty-two paintings by Greuze, several of which have been engraved ; and there are three heads of girls in the National Gallery. His paintings, which at the present day command fabulous prices, were not appreciated in his own time, and the unhappy painter passed his old age in extreme poverty. Joseph Marie Vien (1716 — 1809) was born at Mont- pellier. He studied first in Paris, and from 1775 to 1781 directed the French school at Rome. In studying the works of the earlier ages, he learned to understand the greatness of the art which had almost perished, and endeavoured to return to the style of the great masters. To Vien belongs the honour of having been the first to attempt the part of the reformation in art which was accomplished by his pupil Louis David. This may be seen, in his fine composition, S. Germain of Auxerre and P P 2