Synopses & Reviews
Elisabeth Louise Vigandeacute;e Le Brun (1755andndash;1842) was one of the greatest 18th-century French painters and among the most important women artists of all time.and#160; Celebrated for her expressive portraits of French royalty and aristocracy, and especially of her patron and friend, Marie Antoinette, she exemplified artistic success and personal resourcefulness in an age when women were rarely allowed either.and#160; Forced to flee France during the Revolution, Vigandeacute;e traveled throughout Europe for sixteen years, painting royal and noble sitters in the courts of Naples, Russia, Austria, Poland, and Germany.and#160; She returned to France in 1805, under the reign of Emperor Napoleon I, where her artistic creativity continued unabated.
and#160;
Alongside 90 of her finest paintings and drawings from international museums and collections, this handsome volume details Vigandeacute;e Le Brunandrsquo;s story, portraying a talented and intelligent artist who was able to nimbly negotiate a shifting political and geographic landscape. Providing further context for the life of this extraordinary individual, essays by international experts address topics such as the opportunities for women artists in Europe during this period and the position of women artists in the Salons.and#160;
Synopsis
Accompanying an exhibition in honor of Philippe de Montebello, Director Emeritus of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this engaging book examines the influence of music and theater on the art of Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721). Fifteen major paintings and a number of drawings by Watteau that illustrate the connections between painting and the performing arts in Paris are explored. In addition, drawings and prints by other 18th-century artists featuring musical or theatrical subjects and objects and musical instruments are included.
Synopsis
'\'
Antoine Watteau (1684–1721) produced some of the most seductive drawings in Western art. This book, published to accompany an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, reproduces his finest examples, revealing the delicacy and freedom of execution that so impressed early commentators and had such a profound effect on subsequent generations of artists, notably François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard.
Well-known art historians Pierre Rosenberg and Louis-Antoine Prat examine these masterly studies, focusing on the artist\\\'s development as a draftsman, the techniques that he perfected, and the fascinating role that drawing played in his work. The illustrations, which include recently discovered works, are superbly reproduced.\''
Synopsis
'Brightly hued, highly finished, and relatively large in scale, pastels in the 18th century were regarded as a type of painting and displayed like oils. The powdery, vibrant crayons are particularly suited to capturing the skin tones and evanescent expressions that characterize the most lifelike portraits.
Pastels cannot be permanently displayed because they are susceptible to fading, and they rarely travel. Until now, there has never been an exhibition in the U.S. devoted to these intriguing and important works. Pastel Portraits, the companion book to an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum, presents over 40 exquisite works by French, Italian, English, Swiss, and American artists. It offers a technical discussion of the materials and explains why pastels achieved widespread popularity in the 1700s and how the fabrication of this medium intersected with Enlightenment thinking. '
Synopsis
A sumptuously illustrated look at one of Franceandrsquo;s greatest 18th-century painters written by a renowned team of scholars
Synopsis
This fascinating, sumptuously illustrated volume offers a detailed portrayal of one of Franceandrsquo;s greatest 18th-century painters.
About the Author
Katharine Baetjer is a Curator in the Metropolitan Museumand#8217;s Department of European Paintings. Pierre Rosenberg is Honorary President-Director of the Musand#233;e du Louvre, Paris. Perrin Stein is a Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints, Jeffrey Munger is Curator in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, and Jayson Dobney is an Associate Curator in the Department of Musical Instruments.and#160;Georgia J. Cowart is Professor of Music at Case Western Reserve University.