Charles-André van Loo most famous representative of the dynasty
Charles-André van Loo the brightest and most famous representative of the family dynasty of painters
Charles-Andre van Loo (February 15, 1705 July 15, 1765) is a famous French painter of the 18th century, a prominent representative of the Rococo movement in European fine art. Charles-André van Loo was a very versatile artist, his work encompasses many different genres: from religious and historical to everyday life and portraiture. The best paintings of the artist today are in the leading museums of the world, and some facts of his biography are still controversial among experts.
Charles-André van Loo belonged to the famous family of painters who left a bright mark on the history of European culture. Connoisseurs of art are also familiar with the names of close relatives of the master:
- grandfather Jacob (Jacob); Uncle Jean (Jean);
- father Louis-Abraham (Louis-Abraham);
- brother Jean-Baptiste (Jean-Baptiste);
- son of Jules-César-Denis;
- nephews of Louis-Michel,
- François and Charles Amédée Philippe.
Biography
Charles-Andre van Loo was born on February 15, 1705 in the Mediterranean city of Nice, which at that time was part of the Duchy of Savoy. His father died when the boy was barely seven years old and all the care of Charles’s upbringing was taken over by his 31-year-old brother Jean-Baptiste, who by that time was already a professional artist.
Jean-Baptiste, in fact, replaced the younger brother of his father, and it was he who became his first teacher. Together they first left Nice for Turin, and then for Rome, where they lived until 1719. In the Eternal City, Charles also attended drawing and sculpture classes with two renowned artists: Benedetto Luti and Pierre Le Gros.
In 1719, the brothers arrived in Paris, where Charles first helped Jean-Baptiste to carry out important orders, and later entered the National School of Fine Arts. Four years later, the younger van Loo won the Rome Prize in painting, but the royal treasury did not have the money to finance this trip and the young artist had to give it up for a while.
Instead, over the next four years, Charles-André van Loo was involved in painting, frescoes and setting for the Royal Theater. Having saved up a little money, in 1728 he went to Rome, where he created a number of works of mythological and religious genres, and in 1732 he married an Italian. Then the young master entered the service of the Duke of Savoy Emmanuel III, but stayed in the position of court painter for only a year.
Because of the outbreak of war with Austria and Saxony, Charles-André left Turin and, together with his young wife, went to Paris, where he lived the rest of his life. A year after returning to France, he became a member of the national academy, and then a professor of arts. The talented artist quickly acquired influential patrons, including Louis XV and his famous mistress, the Marquise de Pompadour.
The whole further life of the genius was calm and rich, he enjoyed great prestige among his colleagues and had many wealthy customers.
In addition, the skillful mentor has trained a galaxy of outstanding students, including:
- Louis Jean François Lagrenée
- Jean-Honoré Fragonard;
- Nicolas Guy Brenet;
- Gabriel-François Doyen.
Contemporaries highly appreciated the work of the master, and Voltaire even put his work on a par with the masterpieces of Raphael (Raffaello Santi). Shortly before his death, the brilliant Frenchman became the court painter of the king, which marked the highest degree of recognition of his merits, but did not bestow additional privileges.
At the height of his fame, the authoritative master of painting celebrated his 60th anniversary. Despite his considerable age, he was full of energy and with pleasure continued to work in the workshop, creating new masterpieces. But on July 15, 1765, Charles-André van Loo died suddenly from an unknown illness, and the causes of the premature death were never reliably established.
The most famous paintings by Charles-André van Loo
The brilliant painter has created hundreds of works of art during his professional career. And yet, some of the most famous paintings by Charles-André van Loo include:
- “Aeneas Carrying Anchises” (1729) is a masterpiece of the mythological genre, describing the legend of the salvation of an ancient Greek hero by his son during the fire of Troy. Today this work is on display at the famous Louvre.
- “Theseus, Taming the Marathon Bull” (1745) is a work that amazes the viewer with the careful portrayal of dozens of characters and the richness of the color palette. In the painting, Theseus, who captured a huge animal alive, brings him to Athens to be sacrificed to the gods.
- The Adoration of the Magi (1760) is a skillful masterpiece of the religious genre, created by the master. Three Eastern wise men respectfully bowed before the newborn Jesus and presented him with gifts as a sign of deep respect.
- “Portrait of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna” (1760) is the most idealized portrait of the Russian tsarina. The artist portrayed the heroine, who by that time was overweight, in the form of a beautiful mature woman in full bloom.
Charles-André van Loo was a brilliant painter of his era, whose work spans a wide variety of genres. And his portraits and allegories, works of mythological and religious genres are rightfully considered masterpieces of French fine art.