John Francis Rigaud
John Francis Rigaud ( born May 18, 1742 in Turin, † December 6, 1810 in Packington Hall ( Warwickshire ) ) was a history painter, portrait painter and decorative painter of the eighteenth century. The French -born Rigaud was born in Turin and spent most of his life in England.
Life
Rigaud was baptized only on September 9, his birth year. He was the second son of James Dutilh (later Rigaud ) and Jeanne Françoise Guiraudet. His father came from a Calvinist / Huguenot merchant family; his grandfather Jacques Dutilh had fled with his family after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes from Lyon to Geneva. Grandfather Jacques died on the voyage, and his widow Elizabeth took after their arrival in Geneva her maiden name Rigaud again, under which the family was known. After demonstrating his artistic ability Rigaud studied with Claudio Cavaliere Francesco Beaumont of Turin, the history painter at the King of Sardinia - Piedmont yard. He left Beaumont, traveled from Piedmont in Italy and studied painting in Florence and Bologna, where he in 1766 member of the Accademia Clementina was ( Academy of Fine Arts) in years. After that he went to Rome, but had to return home for family reasons. In January 1768, he broke out again, this time to Piacenza, Parma, Bologna, and finally Rome, where he settled and studied the art of the city, especially the old masters and attended schools for the life drawing. There he created what he considered according to the Dictionary of National Biography as one of his most important works: " Hercules Resting from his Labours " During his time in Rome, Rigaud friend of the Swedish sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel and the Irish painter James Barry. In April 1770 he and Barry traveled to Florence, Bologna and Turin. Rigaud himself went for a short time to Paris and then in December 1771 to London. He exhibited his " Hercules" in 1772 at the Royal Academy of Arts, and was recorded in the same year as " Associate Member ".
While Rigaud painting ever exhibited at the Royal Academy - 1772 to 1815 a total of 155 works - his was his most lucrative and most compelling employment, the decorative painting for the residences of the urban and rural nobility, such as Lord Gower, Lord Sefton and the Earl of Aylesford. Some of his shown at the Academy works were studies for ceiling paintings and in 1797 he showed three with attempt of fresco painting on Portland stone called works the architect William Chambers gave him work in London Melbourne House in Piccadilly ( 1772-1774 ) and at the Somerset House (1780 ) on. He was also on the decorative design of the common council chamber of the Guildhall in London (1794 ) and Trinity House (1796 ) are involved. The Dictionary of National Biography characterizes all these works as the most classic characters and imitations of bas-reliefs in the fashionable Italian style Giovanni Battista Cipriani and Biagio Rebecca. His works at the Guildhall " Providence ", " innocence ", " wisdom " and "happiness " were commissioned by Councillor John Boydell You are not preserved: a 1819 out given companion book by the building reported that this not quite dried Images ausdunkelten. They no longer exist ...
Rigaud also created history paintings, such as " Entry of the Black Prince into London with his Royal Prisoner" (1775 ) and several works for the galleries of Thomas Macklin, Robert Bowyer and for the Shakespeare Gallery by John Boydell in the late 1780s. According to the Dictionary of National Biography, his historical paintings were not well received. He was also commissioned, two religious works painting: a " cross" for the Roman Catholic chapel of the Sardinian Embassy in London in 1780 and a fresco of the " Ascension " for the recently renovated church of St. Martin Outwich 1797 The last painting soon fell into a bad state and disintegrated during the building changes in 1827
Rigaud was also a portrait painter, he comes a group portrait from 1777, the artist Francesco Bartolozzi, Agostino Carlini and Giovanni Battista Cipriani and another from 1782 shows Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir William Chambers and Joseph Wilton. He also presented a series of naval heroes, including Lord Nelson. According to the Dictionary of National Biography His portraits tend to be strongly emphasized character and boldly designed to be random even spans.
On 10 February 1784, the Royal Society Rigaud officially adopted - with " Samson Breaking his Bands " as thesis - in their circle on. In 1795 he was appointed historical painter Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden and a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, Stockholm. But after 1800 appears to have eased his career as a painter, according to the Dictionary of National Biography. He translated in 1802 Leonardo da Vinci's Treatise on Painting and restored painted decorations such as those in the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich and Montague House.
Rigaud married Mary Williams ( probably * 1740, † 1808) on July 21, 1774, had three daughters and with Stephen Francis Dutilh Rigaud a son who was also a painter. . After the death of his wife Rigaud lived with his son. He died on 6 December 1810 in Packington Hall in Warwickshire on apoplexy and was buried in Packington.