Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/816

802 PAINTING painter, and architect; Francisco Zurbaran, a distinguished painter of the naturalistic school of Oaravaggio ; and Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez and Bartolome Esteban Murillo, who share the honor of making Spanish art known and admired in all parts of the civilized world. The characteristics of their styles are described in the biographical notices of them. Since the commencement of the 18th century Spain has produced few painters of eminence. Painting was practised in France as early as the time of Charlemagne, and during the 14th and 15th centuries French illuminators did much excellent work ; but nothing like a nation- al school can be said to have had an existence until after the visit of Primaticcio and other Italian artists, at the invitation of Francis I. The only painter of independent or national feeling who preceded them was Jean Cousin, noted for an elaborate representation of the last judgment. Simon Youet, who flourished in the earlier half of the 17th century, re- ceived an Italian education, and is considered the master and model of the succeeding gener- ation of French painters. Contemporary with him were Nicolas Poussin, eminent for the clas- sic spirit of his compositions and his landscapes ; G-aspar Poussin, also eminent in landscapes; Claude Gelee, known as Claude Lorraine, a master of aerial perspective, as of nearly every other branch of landscape painting ; and Se- bastien Bourdon. All of these, though French by birth, practised their art and passed most of their lives in Italy. Eustache Lesueur and Charles Le Brun were the most eminent of Vouet's pupils; the latter, an artist of merit despite his affectation of manner and viola- tions of taste, being the painter of many of the immense pictures at Versailles which testify to the vanity and extravagance of Louis XIV. In the succeeding reign Antoine Watteau paint- ed fetes galantes with grace and effect ; Fran- cois Boucher, an artist of considerable natural force and ability, gained an unenviable repu- tation by producing works conceived in the worst taste, and which violated all notions of truth or decency; Joseph Vernet was noted as a marine painter; and somewhat later Jean Baptiste Greuze obtained a unique reputation for his female heads and charming represen- tations of domestic life. Painting steadily de- teriorated during the latter half of the 18th century, until restored to a temporary vitality about the time of the French revolution by Jacques Louis David, whose style, known as the "classic," though dry, pedantic, and defi- cient in true expression, showed considerable mastery of form, and was followed by Gue- rin, Drouais, and a numerous band of pupils. Grps first broke away from this "morbid imi- tation of the antique," as it has been called, and with Gericault and others inaugurated the system of painting from nature whence ori- ginated the modern French realistic school. Contemporary with Gericault was Eugene De- lacroix, a vigorous colorist, who founded a ro- mantic school, the followers of which seem to have drawn their inspiration from the wri- tings of Goethe, Byron, and Scott. Among the painters who flourished during the first quarter of the present century were Ingres, a pupil of David, and a refined classicist ; Isabey, noted for his miniatures; Prud'hon, Robert Fleury, and Leopold Robert. Horace Vernet, who died in 1863, was a facile painter, of fine invention and unrivalled in battle pieces ; his son-in-law, Paul Delaroche,. became one of the chief masters of history of the century; and Ary Scheffer stood almost alone as an idealist of singular purity and severity of conception. The French school of the present day, if less aspiring than that of David and less broadly realistic than that founded by Gros and Geri- cault, is distinguished by correct drawing and composition, and generally by elaborate finish, although in the latter particular the practice of its members is by no means uniform. The prevailing style is genre, and subjects are often trivial, but dramatic power is by no means wanting. In respect to the technical qualities of the art, painting is now practised in France with more success than ever before, and in this regard the French school is perhaps the best extant. Among the principal masters in genre and history may be mentioned Meisso- nier, whose pictures, small and simple in detail, are admirable for character and execution; Ger6me, noted for dramatic expression and elaborate finish; Edouard Frere; Jules Bre- ton ; Couture ; Zamacois and Millet, both late- ly deceased, and both of high excellence ; Ha- mon, Oabanel, Hippolyte Flandrin, Decamp, Bouguereau, Hebert, Bonnat, Fromentin, Pils, Yvon, and Fortuny, a Spaniard by birth, whose recent death is a severe loss to modern art. Gustave Dore has exhibited considerable tal- ent in grotesque or fantastic subjects, but is considered to have failed in his more am- bitious undertakings, such as the illustration of the Bible and Dante. Gustave Courbet is a realist of singular power, and Rosa Bonheur occupies an important position as an animal' painter. In the department of landscape a high place must be assigned to Troyon. Oth- er artists famous in that department are Rous- seau, Corot (died in 1875), Daubigny, Diaz, and Lambinet. Of painting in England little can be said previous to the 18th century. Jan Mabuse, Holbein, Sir Anthony More, Rubens, Vandyke, Lely, Kneller, and other continental painters, had during the two previous centu- ries successively practised their art there, prin- cipally in the department of portraiture ; but their influence was unavailing to form a na- tional school. The few native artists of note who flourished within this period, including Billiard, Isaac and Peter Oliver, miniature painters, and Dobson, Nicholas Stone, and Jameson, called the " Scottish Vandyke," were portrait painters, and that branch of painting alone received encouragement. The first im- portant historical works by an English ar-