Pierre Crozat

Pierre Crozat (* 1661 or 1665, † 1740) was a very wealthy French tax collector, financier, art collector and patron, which promoted, among others, the painter Jean -Antoine Watteau. Compared to his brother Antoine Crozat even richer, "the Rich " he was - of course wrongly - called " Crozat of arms".

Life

Pierre Crozat was the son of the influential financier and magistrate or " capitouls " Antoine Crozat and his wife Catherine Saporta. He made as " trésorier de France " in Montauban and " trésorier des États " the province of Languedoc career. Around the year 1700 he moved to Paris.

In Montmorency, north of Paris, in 1702 he bought the former, uninhabited since 1689 estate of the first court painter Charles Le Brun († 1690). He let château renovate the corresponding, so-called Petit and build a magnificent new palace in the east of about twenty acres of parks designed by architect Sylvain Cartault, which was completed in 1709. In 1719 was built according to plans by Gilles -Marie Oppenord ( 1672-1742 ) - in contrast to the castles - still existing semi-circular orangery. In Montmorency, the park served as Watteau Motif, resided Crozat - apart from his stays in Paris - until his death in 1740.

In addition, he acquired in 1704 in Paris a large, de on rue Richelieu in today's house numbers 91 and 93 located plot that stretched up to the boulevards and the Rue Gramond and was at Sylvain Cartault the 1706 completed construction of a luxury hôtel particulier ( city residence ) in order. Located on the garden side of gallery adorned from Charles de La Fosse, for the dining Crozat protege Watteau created the " Four Seasons".

The Advised art lovers and collectors received both in Paris and in his country house in Montmorency numerous artists, art connoisseurs and critics. Almost constantly present patrons were Charles de La Fosse (1640-1716), who died at his home, and Crozat young protege Watteau (1684-1721), which he hosted from 1715 to 1717. To the circle of visitors who got together every week belonged next to the portraitist François de Troy (1645-1730), who came as the hosts themselves from the Languedoc, and his son Jean François de Troy (1679-1752) of the Parisian painter Nicolas de Largillière ( 1656-1746), the collector and patron of Watteau Jean de Julienne (1686-1766), the engraver and archaeologist Count of Caylus (1692-1765) and the Paris engraver, collector and art critic Pierre -Jean Mariette ( 1694-1774 ). Other guests included the Parisian sculptor Pierre Le Gros (1666-1719) as well as the young painter Natoire (1700-1777) and François Boucher ( 1703-1770 ). Crozat also received the grown up in the Flemish milieu of the district of Saint- Germain -des- Près Vleughels Nicolas (1668-1737), who had spent some time in Venice, and renowned international artists such as the Venetian Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1714), Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini (1675-1741) and painter Rosalba Carriera pastel ( 1675-1757 ).

Pierre Crozat died in 1740 in his palace in the rue Richelieu.

The Crozat Collection

Crozat art collection was the largest private collection of its kind in France in the 18th century. He was early for his numerous business trips to Italy for art lovers and collectors, his reputation as an authority was so great that he was in 1715 appointed as an expert by the Duc d' Orleans and shopped for the Duke of art from Italian collections.

Most of the works in the Crozat collection were of Italian origin, the Venetian school prevailed. Categorized by genres, the collection reveals a preference for history painting, so a traditional flavor. The Dutch artists were represented not nearly as numerous as the Italian, Flemish and Dutch schools, each with nearly fifty works nevertheless quite extensive.

This unique collection first went over to Crozat nephew Joseph -Antoine, Baron de Tugny (1696-1751), who united with his own collection, which mainly contained French and Dutch artists. The so again enlarged collection inherited Louis -Antoine Crozat, Baron de Thiers (1699-1770), younger brother of Joseph- Antoine. This continued the collecting activities and enriched the collection once again. She was eventually bought out in 1772 with the support of the philosopher Denis Diderot of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great, so that the Crozat Collection today mostly located in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. The graphic collection was auctioned in 1741 already, the worried from the engraver and art dealer Pierre -Jean Mariette catalog counts nearly 2000 numbers, with many numbers multiple sheets - also various artists - summarize.