Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier

Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier ( born February 21, 1815 in Lyon, † 31 January 1891 in Paris ) was one of the most famous French painter in the 1850 and 1860s.

Life

Meissonier came young to Paris and became a pupil of Léon Cogniet. At the same time Dutch masters such as Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck began to copy Meissonier in the Louvre. For financial reasons, Meissonier was forced at the beginning of his career, perform contract work for various printers. So illustrations created in succession for several editions of the Bible and for various works of Jacques Bossuet Bénine. " Orlando Furioso " ( Ludovico Ariosto ) was developed by Meissonier as illustrated by Jacques -Henri Bernardin de Saint -Pierre " Paul and Virginia " and " The Indian hut " as well.

At age 21, then Meissonier was in 1836 with his genre painting "The little messenger and the chess players ' debut at an exhibition of the Parisian salons. He had already found his style and in the following years, several works, such as 1838 " Monk, comforting a sick " or 1840 " The reader ". These subjects were enthusiastically received by the audience and even the official art criticism was almost always nothing but praise. His painting " The Chess Game " was awarded at the exhibition of the Paris Salon of 1841 with a medal.

He particularly liked to put people from the time of Louis XIV and Louis XV. dar. His following, very numerous, but always conducted with the utmost conscientiousness images move mostly in the same direction: a sharp but cool, not too deeply penetrating into the soul characteristic and an elegant fabric painting.

Occasionally, he also attacked in the area of modern history, in the campaigns of Napoleon I and Napoleon III. over, but only achieved a greater impact if it was limited to a few characters in a small scale. For figure- richer compositions ( for example, the Cuirassiers of 1805 ) and for images larger format Meissonier enough expressiveness is not sufficient.

1867 Meissonier was invited to participate in the World Exhibition in Paris. With five paintings, " lecture at Diderot ", " The Captain ", " Cavaliers front of a tavern ," " General Desaix in the Army of the Rhine " and " The orderly ", of which he had created some for the occasion, he was also represented.

His work " The Guard " in 1874 honorable mention at the exhibition of the Parisian salons. Meissonier did not have very many students; worthy of mention his son Jean Charles Meissonier (* 1848 ), Jean Baptiste Edouard Detaille and also the German painter Fritz Werner.

At the age of 75 years Meissonier died on 31 January 1891 in Paris.

Works (selection)

  • The small messenger of chess players (1836 )
  • Monk, comforting a sick (1838 )
  • The English Doctor ( 1839)
  • The Reader ( 1840)
  • The game of chess (1841 )
  • The Painter in his studio (1843 )
  • The bodyguard
  • Young man looking at drawings
  • Call the game (1845 )
  • The cones player
  • The soldiers (1848 )
  • The Bravi (1852 ),
  • The farrier
  • Napoleon with his staff in 1814
  • Napoleon III. to Solferino (1864 )
  • Consequences of a dispute when Game (1865 )
  • Lecture in Diderot
  • The captain
  • Cavaliers front of a tavern
  • General Desaix in the Army of the Rhine
  • The orderly
  • The Guard (1874 )
  • 1807 ( Napoleon I at the Battle of Friedland )
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