NOTICE

OF

FRANÇOIS GÉRARD.

François Gérard is born at Rome in 1770, his father was a frenchman and his mother an Italian. He came to Paris at ten years old, and was then placed at the statuary Pajou where he spent a few years, he afterwards went to the painting-school of Brenet, and then to David's.

M. Gérard exhibited his first work at the Muséum in 1795, the admiration it got at that time is not at all abated. The blind Belisarius carrying his expiring guide still remains in the number of the most remarkable pictures of the school.

M. Gérard was constantly busy in painting portrait, and could not always satisfy the demands daily made on him; his numerous occupations in this kind left him however time enough to produce a few pictures, such as Love and Pschyche, the three Ages and a subject of Ossian. He has also made three very large pictures, viz, in 1808, the battle of Auster litz; in 1817, the entrance of Henry IV; and in 1827, the coronation of Charles X.

Among the portraits performed by M. Gérard one ought not to omit quoting those of the Emperor Napoléon and the Empress Joséphine, those of her two daughters the queen of Holland and the queen of Naples; that of the princess Eugène Beauharnais and those of the princes Borghese, Ponte-Corvo and the duke of Montebello. He also painted after the restauration the portraits of Louis XVIII, the count d'Artois, the duke and duchess of Berry, the duke and duchess of Orléans as also that of the duke of Chartres.

M. Gérard, a member of the Institut, has been created a baron, a Knight of the order of Saint-Michel, and an officer of the Légion of Honour.

NOTICE

SUR

GÉRICAULT.

Jean-Louis-Théodore - André Géricault naquit à Rouen en 1780; d'abord élève de Carle Vernet, il passa ensuite dans l'atelier de Pierre Guérin.

Il n'avait encore exposé que de petits tableaux représentant quelques scènes militaires, lorsqu'il donna en 1819 une scène des malheureux naufragés de la Méduse. Acquis depuis sa mort par le gouvernement, ce tableau est placé maintenant dans la galerie du Musée, au Louvre.

Géricault a fait de nombreuses aquarelles très-remarquables, par la franchise de leur composition et la vigueur de leur ton. II aimait à traiter des sujets où se trouvaient des chevaux, et les études qu'il avait faites dans ce genre, lui donnèrent la facilité de s'y distinguer, d'une manière tout-à-fait extraordinaire. Géricault a fait aussi beaucoup de lithographies trèsestimées et qui acquièrent tous les jours du prix.

Une maladie très-douloureuse le retint au lit pendant plusieurs années sans interrompre ses travaux, et il mourut en 1824, âgé seulement de 44 ans.

NOTICE

OF

GERICAULT.

Jean-Louis-Théodore-André Géricault, born at Rouen in 1780, was at first a pupil of Carle Vernet, whom he left to go to the painting-school of Pierre Guérin.

He had as yet only exposed some sinall pictures representing military scenes, when he produced in 1819 a scene of the unfortunate shipwreck of the Méduse. This picture bought since his death by the government, is now placed in the gallery of the Museum, at the Louvre.

Géricault has made a great number of aquarelles very remarkable for their free composition and the vigour of their lon. He was very fond of treating the subject of horses, his study in that kind afforded him the means of distinguishing himself in a most extraordinary manner.

Géricault has also performed many lithographies highly esteemed which every day acquire a great value.

A very painful illness kept him to his bed several years without interrupting his labour. He died in 1824, being only 44 years old.

SUR

FRANÇOIS GIRARDON.

François Girardon naquit à Troyes en 1630. Son père, fondeur de profession, ne croyait pas la carrière des arts aussi lucrative que celle des affaires, aussi le destinait-il à devenir procureur; mais l'antipathie que le jeune Girardon montra pour la chicane, engagea la père à céder aux instances de son fils qui fut alors placé chez un espèce de menuisier-sculpteur à qui on recommanda d'employer son élève aux travaux les plus pénibles et les plus désagréables, afin de parvenir à le dégoûter. Mais il en fut tout autrement; le maître fut si content du talent du jeune homme, qu'il finit obtenir du père la permission de le laisser suivre la carrière des arts.

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Girardon s'inspira en voyant dans les églises de Troyes les travaux qu'y avaient exécutésun Champenois nommé Gentil, et Dominique, sculpteur florentin amené en France par Rosso. Le chancelier Séguier, ayant eu occasion de voir les travaux de Girardon, il l'envoya à Rome à ses frais, et là il gagna l'amitié et la protection du peintre Charles Lebrun. Lors de son arrivée à Paris il fit pour les capucins de la rue Saint-Honoré deux statues de grandeur naturelle, et pour le roi un groupe en marbre de sept figures dont six sont prises dans le même bloc; il représente Apollon chez Téthis. Le groupe de Pluton enlevant Proserpine fut aussi placé à Versailles, ainsi que L'Hiver. Girardon fit aussi la statue équestre de Louis XIV en bronze sur la place Vendôme; le mausolée du cardinal de Richelieu à la Sorbonne et celui de Louvois aux Capucines.

Après avoir exécuté de nombreux travaux Girardon mourut à Paris en 1715, âgé de 85 aus.

NOTICE

OF

FRANÇOIS GIRARDON.

François Girardon was born at Troyes in 1630. His father was a metal-founder, thinking that arts were not so lucrative as business, he resolved to make him an attorney; but the antipathy that Girardon junior showed for chicanry induced his father to yield to his son's entreaties, accordingly he was bound an apprentice to a joiner who was a kind of a sculptor, he was recommended to make the young man work hard in order to disgust him by a painful situation. But it turned out quite otherwise; the master was so greatly satisfied with his apprentice's talent that be at last obtained the father's leave to follow the career of arts.

Girardon was inspired in seeing in the church of Troyes the works which had been performed by a Champenois named Gentil, and Dominique, a Florentin sculptor led into France by Rosso. The chancellor Séguier having by chance seen Girardon's works sent him at his cost to Rome, where he got the friendship and protection of the painter Charles Lebrun. On his arrival at Paris, he made for the Capucins in the rue Saint-Honoré two statues in whole length, and for the King a marble group of seven figures six of which are cut ont of the same block representing Apollo at Thetis. The group of Pluto carrying off Proserpine was also placed at Versailles, with that of Winter. Girardon made likewise the brazen equestrian statue of Louis XIV in Vendome-square; the mausoleum of cardinal Richelieu at the Sorbonne, and that of Louvois at the Capucines.

After having painted many pictures, Girardon died at Paris in 1715, aged 85.