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Philippe de Champaigne
(1602-1674)
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| Philippe de
Champaigne is considered to be one of the finest
painters of the 17th century. Born and artistically
trained in Brussels, Champaigne moved to France in 1621
where he would enjoy a career as an artist spanning
nearly 40 years. He studied landscape painting under
Fouquieres and was influence by Rubens early on.
Painting during the Baroque era; Champaigne was often
commissioned to create portraits of the aristocracy and
the clergy as well. |
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Portrait of
Bishop Jean-Pierre Camus, 1643
Jacques Lemercier
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| One such famous
patron was the Cardinal Richelieu, whom he worked for,
decorating his palace. |
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Cardinal Richelieu, 1637
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Champaigne would also
work with the artist Poussin to decorate the Luxembourg
Palace, as well as the queen mother, Marie de Medicis
and also decorated the dome of the Sorbonne. Many
of his compositions have religious themes, as this was
the style of the day, and certainly, was popular amongst
his patrons. |
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The Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem
Annunciation, 1644
The Penitent Magdalene
Moses Presenting the Commandments
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It is also said that
his interest in religious imagery grew from the sudden
and miraculous recovery of his sick daughter. Champaigne
adopted the style of Jansenism, a style of painting
which emphasized divine grace, original sin and
predestination. This style was later condemned as being
heretical, and came to an end in 1710. Champaigne’s
painting “Ex Voto de 1662,” which hangs in the Louvre,
is a depiction of his daughter, a nun, after she was
cured. This painting is said to be the start of his
Jansensist career. |
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Ex Voto of 1662
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Occasionally,
Champaigne would create still life or paintings of
children outside his usual subjects, and was said to be
a founding member of the Academie Royale, where he would
lecture on works by Titian and other old masters. |
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Children of Habert de Montmors
Still Life With a Skull
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Today his works hang
in the Prado museum in Spain, the Louvre, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and many others
worldwide. He was highly prolific in his lifetime, and
left a massive oeuvre of beautiful Realist, Classicist
paintings behind him.
Think that you might own a piece of work from this great
artist? We authenticate, appraise and research all work
by Philippe de Champaigne. |
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