Xavier Sigalon
Encyclopedia
Xavier Sigalon French
painter
, born at Uzès
(Gard
) towards the close of 1787, was one of the few leaders of the romantic movement who cared for treatment of form rather than of colour.
and obtain admission to Guérin
's studio. But the learning offered there did not respond to his special needs, and he tried to train himself by solitary study of the Italian masters in the gallery of the Louvre
. "The Young Courtesan" (Louvre), which he exhibited in 1822 , at once attracted attention and was bought for the Luxembourg.
The painter, however, regarded it as but an essay in practice and sought to measure himself with a mightier motive; this he did in his "Locusta" (Nîmes), 1824, and again in "Athaliahs Massacre" (Nantes), 1827. Both these works showed incontestable power; but the "Vision of St Jerôme" (Louvre), which appeared at the salon of 1831, together with the "Crucifixion" (Issengeaux), was by far the most individual of all his achievements, and that year he received the cross of the Legion of Honour.
The terrors and force of his pencil were not, however, rendered attractive by any charm of colour; his paintings remained unpurchased, and Sigalon found himself forced to get a humble living at times by painting portraits, when Thiers
, then minister of the interior, recalled him to Paris and entrusted him with the task of copying the Sistine
fresco of the Last Judgment
for a hall in the Palace of the Fine Arts.
On the exhibition, in the Baths of Diocletian
at Rome
, of Sigalon's gigantic task, in which he had been aided by his pupil Numa Boucoiran, the artist was visited in state by Gregory XVI
. But Sigalon did not long enjoy his tardy honours and the comparative ease of a small government pension; returning to Rome to copy some pendants in the Sistine, he died there of cholera
on the 9th of August 1837.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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...
, born at Uzès
Uzès
Uzès is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It lies about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes.-History:Originally Ucetia, Uzès was a small Gallo-Roman oppidum, or administrative settlement. The town lies at the source of the Eure, from where a Roman aqueduct was built in the first...
(Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
) towards the close of 1787, was one of the few leaders of the romantic movement who cared for treatment of form rather than of colour.
Biography
The son of a poor rural schoolmaster, he had a terrible struggle before he was able even to reach ParisParis
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 obtain admission to Guérin
Pierre-Narcisse Guérin
Pierre-Narcisse, baron Guérin was a French painter.-Biography:Guérin was born in Paris.A pupil of Jean-Baptiste Regnault, he carried off one of the three grands prix offered in 1796, in consequence of the competition not having taken place since 1793...
's studio. But the learning offered there did not respond to his special needs, and he tried to train himself by solitary study of the Italian masters in the gallery of the Louvre
Louvre
The Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
. "The Young Courtesan" (Louvre), which he exhibited in 1822 , at once attracted attention and was bought for the Luxembourg.
The painter, however, regarded it as but an essay in practice and sought to measure himself with a mightier motive; this he did in his "Locusta" (Nîmes), 1824, and again in "Athaliahs Massacre" (Nantes), 1827. Both these works showed incontestable power; but the "Vision of St Jerôme" (Louvre), which appeared at the salon of 1831, together with the "Crucifixion" (Issengeaux), was by far the most individual of all his achievements, and that year he received the cross of the Legion of Honour.
The terrors and force of his pencil were not, however, rendered attractive by any charm of colour; his paintings remained unpurchased, and Sigalon found himself forced to get a humble living at times by painting portraits, when Thiers
Adolphe Thiers
Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers was a French politician and historian. was a prime minister under King Louis-Philippe of France. Following the overthrow of the Second Empire he again came to prominence as the French leader who suppressed the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871...
, then minister of the interior, recalled him to Paris and entrusted him with the task of copying the Sistine
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration that was frescoed throughout by Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio...
fresco of the Last Judgment
Last Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
for a hall in the Palace of the Fine Arts.
On the exhibition, in the Baths of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
at 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...
, of Sigalon's gigantic task, in which he had been aided by his pupil Numa Boucoiran, the artist was visited in state by Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
. But Sigalon did not long enjoy his tardy honours and the comparative ease of a small government pension; returning to Rome to copy some pendants in the Sistine, he died there of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
on the 9th of August 1837.