Piat Sauvage
Encyclopedia
Piat Joseph Sauvage was a Belgian painter
. (Tournai
19 January 1744 - 11 June 1818)
Piat's father, Antoine, was a glass cutter
. Piat worked in his father's factory
until the age of 17, when he completed his technical schooling in drawing. He went on to improve his artistic education at the Antwerp Academy under the direction of Martin Joseph Geeraerts, an expert in grisaille
and historic paintings..
He worked for a time in Brussels
under the rule of the Habsburgs. He then joined the Saint Luc Academy in Paris
, and in 1774 made nine paintings including the grisaille
bas-relief La Mort de Germanicus (Germanicus death).
Sauvage was accepted into the Acadèmie royal de Paris after he produced a well-known painting of a round table with an embroidered cloth on which stand a statue
of a child, a helmet, books, a violin
, and other items. This canvas
is at the Palace of Fontainebleau
which also has other dessus-de-porte decorative works by this artist.
As his fame grew, he was chosen as the official painter of the Prince de Condé, and then by Louis XVI and the Royal Family. During this period, he painted Marie-Antoinette and produced paintings for the chapel of Saint-Cloud
among other works.
His appointment as Royal artist did not keep him from joining the popular side of the French Revolution
. His painting surprisingly did not slow down during this period of political upheaval.
From 1804 to 1807, he painted porcelain
figurines for the famous Sèvres porcelain factory
.
In 1808 he returned to Tournai
to became the director of the Academy of Drawing. Until 1817, he succeeded in this role while famous artists such as Antoine Payen studied there. He also painted the Sept Sacrements, or Seven Sacraments, in the choir of the Tournai cathedral
in order to replace the superb tapestries stolen by the Jacobins
during the revolution.
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...
. (Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
19 January 1744 - 11 June 1818)
Piat's father, Antoine, was a glass cutter
Glass cutter
A glass cutter is a hand tool used to make a shallow score in one side of the surface of flat glass that is to be broken in two pieces. The scoring encourages the glass to break along the score, and not in an undesired direction...
. Piat worked in his father's factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
until the age of 17, when he completed his technical schooling in drawing. He went on to improve his artistic education at the Antwerp Academy under the direction of Martin Joseph Geeraerts, an expert in grisaille
Grisaille
Grisaille is a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture. Many grisailles in fact include a slightly wider colour range, like the Andrea del Sarto fresco...
and historic paintings..
He worked for a time in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
under the rule of the Habsburgs. He then joined the Saint Luc Academy in 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...
, and in 1774 made nine paintings including the grisaille
Grisaille
Grisaille is a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture. Many grisailles in fact include a slightly wider colour range, like the Andrea del Sarto fresco...
bas-relief La Mort de Germanicus (Germanicus death).
Sauvage was accepted into the Acadèmie royal de Paris after he produced a well-known painting of a round table with an embroidered cloth on which stand a statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of a child, a helmet, books, a violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, and other items. This canvas
Canvas
Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other items for which sturdiness is required. It is also popularly used by artists as a painting surface, typically stretched across a wooden frame...
is at the Palace of Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
which also has other dessus-de-porte decorative works by this artist.
As his fame grew, he was chosen as the official painter of the Prince de Condé, and then by Louis XVI and the Royal Family. During this period, he painted Marie-Antoinette and produced paintings for the chapel of Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.Like other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine or Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of the wealthiest cities in France, ranked 22nd out of the 36500 in...
among other works.
His appointment as Royal artist did not keep him from joining the popular side of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. His painting surprisingly did not slow down during this period of political upheaval.
From 1804 to 1807, he painted porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
figurines for the famous Sèvres porcelain factory
Manufacture nationale de Sèvres
The manufacture nationale de Sèvres is a Frit porcelain porcelain tendre factory at Sèvres, France. Formerly a royal, then an imperial factory, the facility is now run by the Ministry of Culture.-Brief history:...
.
In 1808 he returned to Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
to became the director of the Academy of Drawing. Until 1817, he succeeded in this role while famous artists such as Antoine Payen studied there. He also painted the Sept Sacrements, or Seven Sacraments, in the choir of the Tournai cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in order to replace the superb tapestries stolen by the Jacobins
Jacobin (politics)
A Jacobin , in the context of the French Revolution, was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary far-left political movement. The Jacobin Club was the most famous political club of the French Revolution. So called from the Dominican convent where they originally met, in the Rue St. Jacques ,...
during the revolution.