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Anne Louis Girodet de Roussy Trioson
(1767-1824)
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Self-Portrait
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We authenticate, appraise and issue Certificates of
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Endymion Asleep 1793
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Anne Louis Girodet was a
French Neoclassical painter, and has been dubbed “The
Romantic Rebel” by art critics. He has been hailed as
being a very precise and clear artist, and is also
remembered for his depictions of the Napoleonic family. |
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Napoleon in
Coronation Robes
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Girodet was born in
Montargis, France, and was orphaned at a very young age.
He was appointed guardianship by M. Troison, and later
took her name in 1812. As a young artist, he studied
under Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David and was
deemed one of his most gifted students at the age of 18.
Girodet’s painting “Joseph Recognized by His Brothers”
won the artist the Prix de Rome in 1789, which allowed
him to study in Italy for five years. While living in
Italy, Girodet became exposed to and highly influenced
by Leondardo da Vinci and Correggio. |
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Joseph Recognized by his Brothers
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In 1793 while he was
still in Italy, Girodet barely escaped with his life
when the French Academy in Rome was attacked by locals.
At this time, he was forced to flee Rome and ended up
working in Naples, and later Genoa and Florence. Girodet
returned to France in 1795, and upon his return, resumed
his career as a portrait painter. His patrons included a
number of notable French figures, as well as members of
the Napoleon family. |
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Jean-Baptiste Belley, Deputy of Santo Domingo to
Convention of France, 1797
Portrait of a Woman in a Turban, 1820
Francois-René de Chateaubriand
Portrait of Doctor Trioson Giving his Son a Geography
Lesson
Hortense de Beauharnais, Napoleonic Family
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Girodet was named a
member of the Légion d’Honneur in 1808, however, one of
Girodet’s most important contributions to art history is
his subtle, yet breathtaking transitions from the
Neoclassical style to Romanticism. This transition
happened over decades as Girodet’s style evolved, and is
evident as early as 1793 with his painting “Hippocrates
Refusing the Gifts of Artaxerxes” and was nearly
complete in his 1808 painting “The Burial of Atala.”
This evolution of style brought harsh criticism on
Girodet by his master, Jacques-Louis David due to the
fact that he abandoned his traditional teachings for
more Romantic themes. |
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The Burial of Atala
1808
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Despite the fact that
Girodet more or less abandoned his initial teachings,
his work remained consistently precise, rich and
beautiful. Like all typical Romantic pieces, Girodet’s
compositions generally feature mythological figures in
dramatic situations, bathed in warm light and posed
languidly in beautiful settings. |
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Apotheosis of French Soldiers Fallen in the Liberation
of War
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Girodet inherited a large
sum of money in 1812, and as a result of his new
fortune, painted much less. He spent the rest of his
days dedicating himself to creating book illustrations,
writing poems and translating works from Greek and Roman
authors. It is said that Girodet produced a vast
quantity of sketches and illustrations, many of which
were later engraved by M. Chatillon. |
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Malvine Dying in the Arms of Fingal
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After Girodet’s death in
1824, many of his pieces were sold and some of his
drawings commanded high prices, even in the early 19th
century. In 2006, the Art Institute of Chicago displayed
the first retrospective of his works in The United
States, including 60 paintings and nearly 40 drawings. |
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Aenea Welcomed in Hades
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Today, his paintings and
drawings are housed all over the world, and perhaps in
your own home. Still wondering about a French
Romantic-style painting in your family estate? Contact
us…it could be by Anne Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson. |
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