Louis de Silvestre
Encyclopedia
Louis de Silvestre was a French portrait
and history
painter
. He was court painter to King Augustus II
of Poland, and director of the Royal Academy of Arts in Dresden
.
, south of Paris
, the third son of Israel Silvestre
, the notable engraver and drawing-master to the Dauphin
himself. Louis was taught initially by his father, then trained under Charles Le Brun
and Bon Boullogne
; he completed his studies in Rome
, where he met Carlo Maratta
, whose work had a great influence on him.
After his return to Paris, Sylvester entered the Royal Academy
in 1702 and was appointed professor in 1706. The main works he painted at this time were "The Healing of the paralytic at the door of the Temple" (1703) and the portrait of Louis XV (1715).
Friedrich August II
, the prince-elector of Saxony
, met Silvestre when he was in France and offered him the chance to work at the court of his father Augustus II
, King of Poland. The artist accepted the offer, obtained permission from Louis XV, and set off on April 23, 1716; by 1718 he was living in Dresden
. Both Augustus II and his son were great admirers of Silvestre's work, and bestowed upon him, in the space of 30 years, every honour imaginable: he was appointed first court painter, then, in 1727, director of the Royal Academy of Arts; he was ennobled in 1741, as was his brother Charles-François.
During this period, Silvestre completed, with the help of his wife, Mary Catherine Hérault, many oil paintings and fresco
s, either in Dresden or in Warsaw
. He painted many portraits of the King and Queen, as well as those of other leading aristocrats. He was responsible for the most important works in the Palace of Dresden, notably, subjects drawn from Ovid
's Metamorphosis
, several ceremonial bedrooms and several ceilings. On the death of Heinrich Christian Fehling (1654–1725), Silvestre was made Director of the Art Academy in Dresden.
During the time he remained at the court of Dresden, Silvestre was known as much for his personality and his distinguished friends, as by his artistic talents. The great number of works that came from his brush and the generosity of his patrons allowed him to amass a considerable fortune, and, having achieved financial security, he retired and returned to France. Louis XV awarded him a pension of 1000 crowns and apartments in the Palais du Louvre
itself. In 1752 he was appointed director of the Academy of Paris.
Louis de Silvestre died in Paris at the Palais du Louvre on 11 April 1760.
Amongst Silvestre's students was the painter Jean-Eleazar Schenau
, who later became director of both of the Dresden Academy and the Meissen porcelain
factory.
Portrait painting
Portrait painting is a genre in painting, where the intent is to depict the visual appearance of the subject. Beside human beings, animals, pets and even inanimate objects can be chosen as the subject for a portrait...
and history
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
. He was court painter to King Augustus II
Augustus II the Strong
Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania ....
of Poland, and director of the Royal Academy of Arts in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.
Life and work
Sylvestre was born in SceauxSceaux, Hauts-de-Seine
Sceaux is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Wealth:Sceaux is famous for the Château of Sceaux, set in its large park , designed by André Le Nôtre, measuring...
, south of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the third son of Israel Silvestre
Israel Silvestre
Israel Silvestre , called the Younger to distinguish him from his father, was a prolific French draftsman, etcher and print dealer who specialized in topographical views and perspectives of famous buildings...
, the notable engraver and drawing-master to the Dauphin
Dauphin
The Dauphin of France —strictly, The Dauphin of Viennois —was the title given to the heir apparent to the throne of France from 1350 to 1791, and from 1824 to 1830...
himself. Louis was taught initially by his father, then trained under Charles Le Brun
Charles Le Brun
Charles Le Brun , a French painter and art theorist, became the all-powerful, peerless master of 17th-century French art.-Biography:-Early life and training:...
and Bon Boullogne
Bon Boullogne
Bon Boullogne was a French painter.-Biography:Boullogne was born in Paris, a son of the painter Louis Boullogne; he was regarded as the most gifted of his children. He took his first lessons from his father, whom he is thought to have assisted in the Grande Galerie of the Louvre...
; he completed his studies in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he met Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta or Maratti was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition stemming from Raphael, he was not exempt from the influence of Baroque painting...
, whose work had a great influence on him.
After his return to Paris, Sylvester entered the Royal Academy
Académie de peinture et de sculpture
The Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture , Paris, was founded in 1648, modelled on Italian examples, such as the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. Paris already had the Académie de Saint-Luc, which was a city artist guild like any other Guild of Saint Luke...
in 1702 and was appointed professor in 1706. The main works he painted at this time were "The Healing of the paralytic at the door of the Temple" (1703) and the portrait of Louis XV (1715).
Friedrich August II
Augustus III of Poland
Augustus III, known as the Saxon ; ; also Prince-elector Friedrich August II was the Elector of Saxony in 1733-1763, as Frederick Augustus II , King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania in 1734-1763.-Biography:Augustus was the only legitimate son of Augustus II the Strong, Imperial Prince-Elector...
, the prince-elector of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, met Silvestre when he was in France and offered him the chance to work at the court of his father Augustus II
Augustus II the Strong
Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong was Elector of Saxony and King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania ....
, King of Poland. The artist accepted the offer, obtained permission from Louis XV, and set off on April 23, 1716; by 1718 he was living in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. Both Augustus II and his son were great admirers of Silvestre's work, and bestowed upon him, in the space of 30 years, every honour imaginable: he was appointed first court painter, then, in 1727, director of the Royal Academy of Arts; he was ennobled in 1741, as was his brother Charles-François.
During this period, Silvestre completed, with the help of his wife, Mary Catherine Hérault, many oil paintings and fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
s, either in Dresden or in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. He painted many portraits of the King and Queen, as well as those of other leading aristocrats. He was responsible for the most important works in the Palace of Dresden, notably, subjects drawn from Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
's Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation...
, several ceremonial bedrooms and several ceilings. On the death of Heinrich Christian Fehling (1654–1725), Silvestre was made Director of the Art Academy in Dresden.
During the time he remained at the court of Dresden, Silvestre was known as much for his personality and his distinguished friends, as by his artistic talents. The great number of works that came from his brush and the generosity of his patrons allowed him to amass a considerable fortune, and, having achieved financial security, he retired and returned to France. Louis XV awarded him a pension of 1000 crowns and apartments in the Palais du Louvre
Palais du Louvre
The Louvre Palace , on the Right Bank of the Seine in Paris, is a former royal palace situated between the Tuileries Gardens and the church of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois...
itself. In 1752 he was appointed director of the Academy of Paris.
Louis de Silvestre died in Paris at the Palais du Louvre on 11 April 1760.
"As for art", says MariettePierre-Jean MariettePierre-Jean Mariette was a collector of and dealer in old master prints, a renowned connoisseur, especially of prints and drawings, and a chronicler of the careers of French Italian and Flemish artists...
, "he was not a painter without merit, but his style had nothing that was new or too exiting; one saw only in him a good follower of Bon Boulogne."
Amongst Silvestre's students was the painter Jean-Eleazar Schenau
Johann Eleazar Zeissig
Johann Eleazar Zeissig, also known as Schenau , was a German genre, portrait and porcelain painter, and engraver; director of the Royal Academy of Arts in Dresden.-Life:...
, who later became director of both of the Dresden Academy and the Meissen porcelain
Meissen porcelain
Meissen porcelain or Meissen china is the first European hard-paste porcelain that was developed from 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. After his death that October, Johann Friedrich Böttger, continued his work and brought porcelain to the market...
factory.
Works
- Arion jouant de la lyre, Louvre, Paris;
- La Cène, musée national du château et des Trianons, Versailles MuseumPalace of VersaillesThe Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
; - La Mort d’Adonis, Musée Magnin, Dijon;
- L’Entrevue de Neuhaus, Louvre, Paris;
- Louis XIV reçoit à Fontainebleau le prince électeur de Saxe. 27 septembre 1714, Versailles museum;
- Saint Benoit ressuscite un enfant, Louvre, Paris;
- Entrevue de l’impératrice Amélie, veuve de l’empereur Joseph I, avec son gendre Auguste III, roi de Pologne, et sa famille, à Neuhaus, en Bohême, le 24 mai 1737, avec une infinité de portraits de personnages du temps; Large painting, 17 ft 6 ins in height, by 23 ft 9 ins long. Engraved by Francesco ZucchiFrancesco ZucchiFrancesco Zucchi , engraver, was born at Venice in 1692. He was the brother of Andrea Zucchi , and was instructed by him in Pordenone. He was invited to Dresden to engrave some plates from the pictures in the Gallery but his work was interrupted by the Seven Years' War...
, Dresden Gallery; - Portrait de la femme d’Auguste III, en princesse électorale;
- Hercule poursuit Nessus, qui s’enfuit avec Déjanire, Dresden Gallery;
- Auguste II, roi de Pologne, donnant la main à Frédéric-Guillaume I, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait de Christian V, roi de Danemark,Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait de son frère Georges, mari de la reine Anne, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait de Georges, fils de la princesse Lubomirska, plus tard princesse de Teschen, appelé le chevalier de Saxe, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait of the Countess Lubomirska, Dresden State Art Collections.
- Portrait du comte Kosel, fils de la baronne de Hoymb. Gravé par Tardieu, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait du comte Rudoffsky, général en chef de l’armée saxonne,Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait du général comté Gastelli, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait d’Antoine Rosdraziewsky, référendaire de la couronne de Pologne, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait du général comte de Kœnigseck, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait d’Auguste II, roi de Pologne,Dresden Gallery
- Le même à cheval, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait d’Auguste III, King of Pologne, Dresden Gallery;
- Portrait d’Auguste III, King of Pologne, Royal Castle, WarsawRoyal Castle, WarsawThe Royal Castle in Warsaw is a castle residency and was the official residence of the Polish monarchs. It is located in the Castle Square, at the entrance to the Warsaw Old Town. The personal offices of the king and the administrative offices of the Royal Court of Poland were located there from...
; - Portrait de Marie-Josèphe, Queen-consort of Poland; figure jusqu’aux genoux, Engraved by SchmidtJohann Georg Schmidt (engraver)Johann Georg Schmidt was a German engraver.-Life and work:Schmidt came from Augsburg and first worked in Dresden and then the studio of Johann Georg Beck, also from Augsburg. After Beck died in 1722, Schmidt married his widow Anna Elisabeth , took over his studio and received the title of...
, Von Marrées Gallery, Berlin; - Un cavalier de la cour d’Auguste II, en masque avec une cornemuse, Von Marrées Gallery, Berlin;
- Allégorie sur l’éducation d’un prince de Saxe, Hermitage MuseumHermitage MuseumThe State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
, Saint Petersburg; - Allégorie sur la naissance d’un prince de la maison de Saxe, Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburge.
- Portrait of the Countess OrzelskaAnna Karolina OrzelskaAnna Karolina Orzelska was an adventuress and Polish szlachcianka , the illegitimate daughter of August II the Strong, Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, by Henriette Rénard.-Life:...
.
See also
- Gemäldegalerie Alte MeisterGemäldegalerie Alte MeisterThe Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden features major works of art. It is located in the gallery wing of the Zwinger....
, "Old Masters Picture Gallery" in the Zwinger Palace, Dresden.
External links
- overview
- Works by Silvestre (MOteur collections, culture.fr)
- Self portrait (John Paul Getty Museum)
- Louis de Silvestre "le jeune" (1675-1760) (Israel Sylvestre et ses Descendants)
- Dresden Gallery The Hood Art Museum in Hanover,New Hampdhire has a painting by this artist,"Alexander and Diogenes".