A splendid exhibition “Duplessis”, undoubtedly the best portrait painter of his time

What put off in a gallery of portraits? Furthermore, An icy fixity? Consequently, The monotony of poses, their disdainful stuttering? Moreover, Wouldn’t that be the feeling of interrupting a conversation between well-born people. Meanwhile, and the fear of leaving in your own wake a silky rustling of backbiting? However, It would still be necessary for talented portraitists. Similarly, Joseph-Siffred Duplessis (1725-1802) was certainly, perhaps the best of his time. Similarly, If the psychologist at no time does the exhibition dedicated to him tire.

“Wait, Duplessis … Meanwhile, Duplessis …”, Mark mumble by firing in your memories. Consequently, Don’t look. For example, You know him. Consequently, His splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best masterful portrait of Louis XVI as a great royal habit illustrates many of our history books. Nevertheless, And the 100 dollars ticket reproduces line for line the effigy he left by Benjamin Franklin. Consequently, Only here, the name of the artist, he passed out in the charcoal clouds of the Revolution.

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A native of Carpentras, in the Comtat Venaissin, son of a barber surgeon keen on painting and painter himself, Joseph-Siffred was scrupulously inscribed in the imposed course of an artist career: learning with a small local master-here, a monk of the Charterhouse of Villeneuve-lez-Avignon-, then a stay in Rome in the workshop of the Grand Subleyras, and finally which, for a century already, splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best has been siphoning provincial homes to leave nothing. Meanwhile, From his early Parisian years, from 1752, nothing is known. In addition, Naturally silent. Meanwhile, little inclined to the worldly, the Comtadin sails-Rame, perhaps-in the shadow of the great galleons then: Nattier, Drouaais father and son … For example, It was only at the Salon de 1769 that Diderot finally remarks: “Here is a painter called Duplessis which was held hidden for ten years. In addition, who suddenly shows himself with three or four really beautiful portraits …”

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Splendid exhibition &quot. duplessis", undoubtedly best – Splendid exhibition "duplessis", undoubtedly best

In the shadow of the big – Splendid exhibition "duplessis", undoubtedly best

One of them, that of Father François Arnaud, enthusiasm the encyclopedist: “It is in truth a beautiful thing for the resemblance, the character and splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best the vigor of the brush. »» We could add the tension of the installation. the liveliness of the gaze: the man in black turns greatly from his work, determined to reduce his contradictor to silence. This is our artist launched. The Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture approved it soon after.

Opened for him two decades of intense activity, carried by the fury of the portrait. The genre always enjoys the favor of the greats: princes, warrior insignia, high financiers of each other … Only the 18th century^e century sees the emergence. then the affirmation of a city bourgeoisie, which in turn rushes in the workshops. The portrait is for her an attribute of social recognition. Orders flock. this revival promotes the development of a generation of portraitists (Perronneau, Ducreux, Vigée-Lebrun, then splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best David) who will bring the genre to his peak.

Everything that enters the composition of a portrait must be portrait

Louis Tocqué. portrait painter

In the academic hierarchy, the portrait occupies a place of choice, just behind the painting of history, considered as the noblest of genres. The resemblance and psychological acuity are the main criteria of appreciation. But not the only ones. The delicacy of the incarnate matters just as much. these subtle nuances of pink restoring in the face its beautiful health or a fleeting emotion. It is this perfect mastery of vibrant flesh which makes certain portraits of Duplessis their spontaneity: that of Madame Hue. all in simplicity and tenderness; Just like this benevolent and fleshy Éléonore de Beauterne, whose rosemen merge with those of fabrics splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best in a pyramidal pyramid Melba. The game of the hands can – must – also produce a tension. as the release of the posture can insinuate proximity.

Splendid exhibition &quot. duplessis", undoubtedly best – Splendid exhibition "duplessis", undoubtedly best

The end of ancient France in flesh and bone

“Everything that enters the composition of a portrait must be portrait”, Professional Louis Tocqué, one of the most eminent portraitists in the court. The furniture with which the model appears. for example, will say everything about its prosperity as of its sensitivity to modes; A simple object will allow an intimate passion to be pierced … The costume, the toilet is no less talkative. Elisabeth’s winter outfit Fréret d’Héricourt. seized with her fireplace, gives off a feeling of material ease, of course, but even more comfort; We perceive intimate crumples, which refer to the slightly weary gaze of a fulfilled woman, of course, but more completely splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best happy. The water in the gaze speaks.

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And Duplessis captures it like no one. He excels more in textures, those of fabrics: velvet, moires, transparency of lace, knots and twists of bed pasmers … There, his talent borders on the most Madré illusionism. He portrait Madame Necker, the object of all the conversations, but likes to let show – Oh! Just a little – the whales of his corset under the Casaquin de Satin. It revels without restraint with complex. a little too demonstrative, trim, of the Court costume that the Count of Buissy has for the occasion. However. it is the gaze that intrigues, also weary, although imbued with success, that of a gouty veneur, that apoplexy is watching …

Duplessis gives us the end of ancient France in flesh and bone, dressed in its most beautiful attire. He magnified the monarch. the princes; He crunched the beautiful spirits and the artists: the Count of Angiviller, a true founder of the Louvre museum, the painter Vien, the Allegrain sculptor, the composer Gluck during his stay in Paris … There is however something of a funeral vigil in his gallery of the illustrious. The revolution arises while its sight is already well affected. that its prestige is beginning to suffer from the success of Madame Vigée-Lebrun. It is not directly threatened by turmoil. He survives it. But small. Pigning less. less for lack of orders, and devoting itself to various works as a museum curator, inventories in catering campaigns …

Splendid exhibition &quot. duplessis", undoubtedly best – Splendid exhibition "duplessis", undoubtedly best

An exceptional artist

Rather slow splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best in the execution, feasting on details, not holding a workshop swarming with small hands, Duplessis has painted relatively few paintings. Xavier Salmon, an exhibition commissioner, is just 200. To this modest corpus, there is an intermediate position in the rich history of the portrait. Eclipsed in the memories by the fame of Rigaud. Largillierre, both disappeared when he was about 20 years old, Duplessis still had to suffer from the prestige of Maurice Quentin de la Tour, Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun and David, immense portrait painter on the sidelines of his propaganda compositions.

He had masterfully painted an abolished world. We threw him into the pit at the same time as his honest models. He had failed to portray Marie-Antoinette. which, if not, had assured his posterity: an ambiguous feeling early sanctified the queen; He had splendid exhibition “duplessis”, undoubtedly best only the king to his credit. The exhibition of the L’Inguimbertine library-museum. in the magnificent Hôtel-Dieu de Carpentras, finally does justice to an exceptional artist, properly incredible. Only one regret, however: that this retrospective does not circulate. We would have visited it once again in the Louvre or Versailles …

« Duplessis (1725-1802). The art of painting life ” L’Inguimbertine, Hôtel-Dieu de Carpentras, until September 28.