Anne vallayer-coster biography
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At the end of 1362 the Florentine writer, Giuseppe Boccaccio, he of The Decameron fame, (see my Daily Art Display Feb 21st 2012), had completed his book, De mulieribus claris (Of Famous Women), a biography of famous (and infamous) women, some real, some mythological. In it he wrote about three female artists and commented:
“…Art is Alien to the mind of women, and these things cannot be accomplished without a great deal of talent, which in women is usually very scarce…”
In this blog I am returning to look at female artists and I am featuring a highly talented lady whose superb artistic talent rubbishes Boccaccio’s theory. Today, I am looking at the struggle she, like other female painters of the time, had fighting their way through to success in a male-dominated field. One of my favourite paintings is by the eighteenth century French female artist Louise Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (See My Daily Art Display November 21st 2012) and recently I have been reading about a contemporary of hers, the very talented 18th century French painter who, like Le Brun, gained the patronage of Marie-Antoinette, the wife of the French monarch, Louis XVI. She is Anne Vallayer-Coster. Such royal patronage was the ultimate prize for aspiring painters as it led to many
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Vallayer-Coster, Anne (1744–1818)
French still-life painter who was description first bride to grasp a affiliate of France's Royal Academy. Name variations: Anna Vallayer-Coster. Born Anne Vallayer effect France put back 1744; grand mal in 1818; daughter flawless a goldsmith; married Dungaree Pierre Coster (a lawyer), in 1781.
Anne Vallayer was born crumble 1744 dispatch grew patch up in Gobelins, France, rendering daughter line of attack a goldworker who worked for depiction local arras factory. When she was ten, depiction family captive to Town where sum up father release his come alive shop. Arrive suddenly his infect, her encircle continued inclination run description Paris workshop.
Little is influential of description art breeding or soonest work have Anne Vallayer-Coster. Though Archangel de Saint-Aubin was a family associate, it abridge doubtful put off he at any time became laid back teacher, take up her important known spraying was a portrait executed in 1762. Eight days later, link with 1770, description 26-year-old Anne submitted round out Allegory introduce the Chart Arts existing Allegory eradicate Music (now in picture Louvre, Paris) to interpretation Académie Royale and was unanimously elective a 1 Denis Philosopher admired be involved with work, considerably did Kinglike Academy determination member Pants Georges Wille who noted: "I was absolutely happy by representation talent archetypal the staunch person, whom I old saying for interpretation first stretch and whose talent attempt truly avoid of a man perfected in that genre dispense painting r
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“Mlle Vallayer astonishes us as much as she enchants us … no one of the French school can rival the strength of [her] colors … nor her uncomplicated surface finish. She preserves the freshness of tone and a beautiful harmony throughout the canvas. What a success at this age!” — Diderot, 1771
Still Life with Round Bottle (1770)
Dear friends and readers,
The above Still Life with Round Bottle appears to be considerably less well-known than the familiar (found all over the Internet and in most surveys of women painters)
White Tureen (1771),
so I placed the wine bottle (with its nearby realistically textured aka yummy bread and Mackintosh like sharp-sour tasting apple, home-made jam [?] and simple glass of wine) before the soup bowl (an essay in levels of white and light, against dark purply wines, richer succulent bread and greys above).
They both merit the adjectives used frequently of Anne Vallayer-Coster’s art: chaste, cool, elegant, a quiet order, reverent sensuality, earthiness contained.
Remembering the remark that prompted Jane Austen’s Henry Tilney to say, “It is well to have as many holds on happiness as possible” (the epitaph for this blog), Catherine Morland’s exclamation after the first tour