Zacharie Astruc

Zacharie Astruc ( born February 8, 1835 in Angers, † May 24, 1907 in Paris ) was a French art critic, journalist, poet, composer, painter and sculptor.

Astruc first worked as a journalist and art critic for the magazines Echo du Nord and Pays. Later he founded the magazine in Lille Mascarille and 1872 in Madrid, L' espagne nouveau. In addition, he was co-editor of the literary collection Le quart d' heure.

The versatile Astruc played an important role in the Parisian art scene of the second half of the 19th century. First, he became friends with Henri Fantin -Latour and learned about these Édouard Manet know. Fantin- Latour sat Astruc in his painting Un atelier aux Batignolles right next to Manet. Astruc was one of the first defenders of Manet's painting and wrote to his painting Olympia a poem. Manet painted Astruc in Music in the Tuileries Gardens, The Music Lesson, and finally in 1866 his portrait. Likewise, Frédéric Bazille created a portrait of him. In his writings he defended, for example, Claude Monet and Alphonse Legros. Among his friends was as much the painter Emile Auguste Carolus -Duran. The Japanese art of Spanish painters and enthusiastic Astruc later worked as a painter and is itself in 1874 in the first Impressionist exhibition. In the following years he turned to sculpture. His Mask Salesman in the Jardin du Luxembourg is one of his best known works.

Works

Intérieur Parisien

Les Chinois Presents

The Happy Mask Shop Jardin du Luxembourg