HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL NOTICE OF SEBASTIAN BOURDON. Without having reached a reputation equal to that enjoyed by Poussin, Claude Lorraine, and Le Sueur, still Bourdon must be ranked with those painters whose talents do most credit to France. If a want of correctness in the drawing be observed in several of his numerous works, this defect is amply redeemed by great beauties, an extraordinary facility, and much originality. Sebastian Bourdon was born at Montpellier, in 1616. His father, a glass-stainer, tanght him the first principles of drawing, and he was early placed under one of his uncles, who took him to Paris. He performed this journey on a . vehicle loaded with luggage, on which he fell asleep, and fell down with one of the bales without any one seeing him. A courrier having given notice that he had perceived something lying in the road, which most likely belonged to the waggon, the driver went back, and found the boy fast asleep. When at Paris, young Sebastian was put with a painter of middling talent, whom he left when fourteen years old, and went to Bordeaux. He at first had to paint, in a Château near the town, a ceiling, which he did in fresco; but, subsequently, having no employment, he set off for Toulouse, where want obliged him to enlist for a soldier. The Captain of his com pany, astonished at the talent of the young recruit, soon afterwards gave him his discharge. He then went to Rome : in this place he had no other resource than to work for a picture-dealer, who but ill-paid him. The versatility of his talent and a strong memory gave him the means of painting pictures wherein he imitated the manner of each master. He carried this skill so far as to imitate a picture of Claude Lorraine's, from memory alone. Having exhibited it during a holiday, as was then the custom, every one was struck at the merit of this fresh specimen of the skilful lanscape-paintMany persons went to compliment him on it, and found him finishing the very picture believed to have been exhibited. Lorraine did not easily forgive Bourdon this trick: but the latter acquired from that time some celebrity, and earned a comfortable livelihood by thus repeating the piotures of Andrea Sacchi, Michael Angelo Corcoz, and Peter de Laër. er. A painter, a fellow countryman of Bourdon, jealous of his success, wished to stop it, and threatened to denounce him before the Inquisition, as a Calvinist. This annoyance obliged Bourdon to leave Rome suddenly, after a three years' residence. He at first weat to Venice, and afterwards returned to Paris where he did the Crucifixion of St. Peter, for the Church of Notre Dame. The reputation he acquired by that work, was increased by the Martyrdom of St. Andrew, which he painted for the cathedral of Chartres. He was also to do six pictures for the Church of St. Gervais in Paris; but having taken the liberty of jesting on the life of this Saint, he was only allowed to finish the subject he had begun, and the five others were given to Champagne and Le Sueur. Such large compositions did not prevent Bourdon from occasionally painting, by way of diversion, fancy pictures, and bambocciate, executed with extraordinary rapidity; and in which, spirit, originality, and a vigorous colouring, are always found. He also did some very justly esteemed portraits and landscapes; but his restlessness often induced him to work quick, seldom having the patience to finish his pictures. He has even been known, relying on his facility, to bet that he would paint, in a single day, twelve heads from nature. He won the wager, and these heads, it is said, were as handsome as any he had done. It will be easily conceived that, with such a mind, Bourdon must have been an eccentric character. Thus he was sometimes seen giving himself up wholly to company, dis playing great playfulness, and afterwards setting to work with the utmost assiduity. He would then shut himself up in a loft, which served him for a study, pulling up the ladder after him, that no one might intrude on his privacy, or even guess where he was. When the Royal Academy for Painting was founded, in 1648, Bourdon was one of the twelve Elders later he was named Rector of the Academy. : The troubles occasioned by the Fronde, were a source of vexation to Bourdon, on account of his religion. He left his country in 1652, for Sweden, with the title of painter to the Queen. In this country he only had portraits to paint, and he did that of Christina on horseback. Whilst working at it, he incessantly spoke to that Sovereign of the pictures Gustavus Adolphus had had for his share at the taking of Prague, in 1620: the greater part were yet unpacked. The Queen ordered him to examine them, and when he gave her the description, seeing with what enthusiasm he particularly praised those of Correggio, she generously gave them to him. But Bourdon immediately replied that she ought not to part with snch precious pictures, which were some of the finest in Europe. They afterwards belonged to Cardinal Odescalchi, then to the Orleans Gallery, and are now dispersed. Bourdon, returning to Paris, was commissioned to paint, for the Parish of St. Benoît, a picture representing Christ Dead and the Virgin by him. He afterwards went to Montpellier with all his family; and on his return, in 1663, he painted, in fresco, the ceilings of the Bretonvilliers Gallery : he was assisted in this great work by his pupils, Guillerot, Monier, and Friquet. He represented in it the story of Phaeton, in nine large compositions, but now entirely destroyed by time. It is not known at what period Bourdon painted his Seven Acts of Mercy, but they must have been in his best time; himself showing how much he prized them, since he etched them he has also done in the same manner about thirty subjects, several of which are landscapes, remarkable as to the composition and style of engraving. Bourdon was ordered to paint the ceiling of an apartment in the Tuilleries; but he had only done the drawing of it, when he was attacked by a violent fever, of which he died in 1671, leaving two daughters, who both painted minia tures. If Bourdon had not been snatched away at so early a period he might have produced much more, but certainly nothing to increase his reputation. The principal character of his works is that of being done with facility; but they are slightly finished. When he copied nature, he knew not how to make a choice: his portraits are remarkable for a faithful and vigorous colouring. His numerous landscape place him by the side of Poussin. His works amount to about two hundred compositions. NOTICE SUR PIERRE-CHARLES BRIDAN. M. Pierre-Charles Bridan est né à Paris, en 1766. Élève de son père, statuaire de l'ancienne Académie royale, il remporta le grand prix de Rome en 1791. Parmi les nombreux ouvrages de M. Bridan, on doit citer principalement la statue en marbre d'un artilleur, placée à l'arc de triomphe de la place du Carrousel; celle de Duguesclin, sur le pont Louis XVI; celle de Bossuet pour la ville de Dijon, et un Épaminondas mourant. D'autres statues et bas-reliefs en plâtre se voient à la Chambre des Pairs et à l'hôtel des Invalides. C'est M. Bridan qui a eu le courage d'entreprendre l'immense colosse de l'Éléphant, qui devait servir de fontaine sur la place de la Bastille. Il a fait un groupe de petite dimension représentant Michel-Ange devenu aveugle, et cherchant à reconnaître avec ses mains la beauté des formes du torse antique. Ce morceau fut exposé au salon de 1827. |