DUCREUX, Joseph Nancy 1735 – Paris 1802 Ducreux (he sometimes signed du Creux) came from a family... more DUCREUX, Joseph Nancy 1735 – Paris 1802 Ducreux (he sometimes signed du Creux) came from a family of artists based in Nancy. They were presumably related to homonyms in Paris: a Michel-Joseph Ducreux ( –1715) was a painter and carver of carnival masks on the Pont NotreDame, while several “sculpteurs du roi”, painters or wax modellers called Ducreux (Jean-Louis, Jean-Baptiste, Michel-Louis) were recorded there until c.1748, probably sons. The pastellist Ducreux studied initially under his father Charles, premier peintre to Stanisław Leszczyński in Nancy. He moved to Paris around 1760. He is widely referred to as La Tour’s only pupil, but the evidence of when is thin (Salmon 2018 argues that the encounter may have been as late as 1783); he is also supposed to have studied oil painting under Greuze, who was a close friend. Greuze left a manuscript note addressed to Ducreux which provides an account of the principles he taught (Goncourt 1880, I, p. 298):
LIOTARD, Jean-Étienne Geneva 22.XII.1702–12.VI.1789 Liotard was the youngest son of a marchand ta... more LIOTARD, Jean-Étienne Geneva 22.XII.1702–12.VI.1789 Liotard was the youngest son of a marchand tailleur from Montélimar who had settled in Geneva (bourgeois 1701). He initially studied miniature and enamel painting there, and was apprenticed briefly to Daniel Gardelle (1679– 1753, a distant relative through the Mussard family); according to his autobiography he stayed only four months, and already worked in miniature, enamel, oil and pastel (there is no obvious inspiration for pastel in Geneva at the time, and the claim seems improbable). Liotard went to Paris in 1723 and was placed for three years with Jean-Baptiste Massé (q.v.; although usually described as a contract of apprenticeship, the document published by Marandet 2003b was in fact one of “allouage”, for three years, with no premium). A letter of authority for the arrangement from Liotard’s father mentions two Genevan engravers with businesses in Paris who no doubt made the introduction to Massé: Pierre Gevray (1679–1759) a...
Adelaide Labille-Guiard exhibited this pastel of Mme Mitoire et ses enfants in 1783. While Mme Mi... more Adelaide Labille-Guiard exhibited this pastel of Mme Mitoire et ses enfants in 1783. While Mme Mitoire was knonn to be Carle Van Loo's granddaughter, Mme Charles Mitoire, née Christine-Geneviève Bron (1760–1842), her two children are here identified as Alexandre-Laurent Mitoire (1780–1816) and Charles-Benoît Mitoire (1782–1832). The family background and the mysterious M. Mitoire are investigated.
A fully annotated transcription and translation into English of the famous journal kept by Rosalb... more A fully annotated transcription and translation into English of the famous journal kept by Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757) during her visit to Paris, together with an annotated transcription of the diaries for the years 1723-28 when she had returned to Venice.
An expanded introduction to the Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, covering every aspect of t... more An expanded introduction to the Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, covering every aspect of the creation, construction, conservation, exhibition and social function of the medium. Constantly updated online this is the 2024 edition in pdf format
DUCREUX, Joseph Nancy 1735 – Paris 1802 Ducreux (he sometimes signed du Creux) came from a family... more DUCREUX, Joseph Nancy 1735 – Paris 1802 Ducreux (he sometimes signed du Creux) came from a family of artists based in Nancy. They were presumably related to homonyms in Paris: a Michel-Joseph Ducreux ( –1715) was a painter and carver of carnival masks on the Pont NotreDame, while several “sculpteurs du roi”, painters or wax modellers called Ducreux (Jean-Louis, Jean-Baptiste, Michel-Louis) were recorded there until c.1748, probably sons. The pastellist Ducreux studied initially under his father Charles, premier peintre to Stanisław Leszczyński in Nancy. He moved to Paris around 1760. He is widely referred to as La Tour’s only pupil, but the evidence of when is thin (Salmon 2018 argues that the encounter may have been as late as 1783); he is also supposed to have studied oil painting under Greuze, who was a close friend. Greuze left a manuscript note addressed to Ducreux which provides an account of the principles he taught (Goncourt 1880, I, p. 298):
LIOTARD, Jean-Étienne Geneva 22.XII.1702–12.VI.1789 Liotard was the youngest son of a marchand ta... more LIOTARD, Jean-Étienne Geneva 22.XII.1702–12.VI.1789 Liotard was the youngest son of a marchand tailleur from Montélimar who had settled in Geneva (bourgeois 1701). He initially studied miniature and enamel painting there, and was apprenticed briefly to Daniel Gardelle (1679– 1753, a distant relative through the Mussard family); according to his autobiography he stayed only four months, and already worked in miniature, enamel, oil and pastel (there is no obvious inspiration for pastel in Geneva at the time, and the claim seems improbable). Liotard went to Paris in 1723 and was placed for three years with Jean-Baptiste Massé (q.v.; although usually described as a contract of apprenticeship, the document published by Marandet 2003b was in fact one of “allouage”, for three years, with no premium). A letter of authority for the arrangement from Liotard’s father mentions two Genevan engravers with businesses in Paris who no doubt made the introduction to Massé: Pierre Gevray (1679–1759) a...
Adelaide Labille-Guiard exhibited this pastel of Mme Mitoire et ses enfants in 1783. While Mme Mi... more Adelaide Labille-Guiard exhibited this pastel of Mme Mitoire et ses enfants in 1783. While Mme Mitoire was knonn to be Carle Van Loo's granddaughter, Mme Charles Mitoire, née Christine-Geneviève Bron (1760–1842), her two children are here identified as Alexandre-Laurent Mitoire (1780–1816) and Charles-Benoît Mitoire (1782–1832). The family background and the mysterious M. Mitoire are investigated.
A fully annotated transcription and translation into English of the famous journal kept by Rosalb... more A fully annotated transcription and translation into English of the famous journal kept by Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757) during her visit to Paris, together with an annotated transcription of the diaries for the years 1723-28 when she had returned to Venice.
An expanded introduction to the Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, covering every aspect of t... more An expanded introduction to the Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, covering every aspect of the creation, construction, conservation, exhibition and social function of the medium. Constantly updated online this is the 2024 edition in pdf format
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