Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889) was a French Academist painter who was recognized as an "imperial artist" and successfully exhibited at the Paris Salon, presenting there his paintings in the style of Academism, which were a resounding success. Cabanel very successfully managed to meet the tastes of Parisian aristocrats and Napoleon himself, who bought many of his paintings. But then everything changed - the paintings were recognized as "glossy consumer goods", and Cabanel was accused of indulging the tastes of the unsophisticated public, which has a remote idea of the real art.
Echo
"The embodiment of vulgarity and vulgarity" - that's the usual opinion about the paintings of Cabanel in the early XX century. But in the XXI century, everything returned to normal - interest in his work has increased, and it no longer seemed lifeless and hopelessly outdated, rather acquired the status of noble antiquity, like the paintings of artists of the Renaissance. But still, what is more in his paintings - the desire to please rich customers or pure art? Let's try to understand in this article.
Phaedra
Cabanel's life from childhood flowed along the well-traveled track that leads to success. He received a good education, at 17 came to Paris and entered the School of Fine Arts, successfully graduated from it and was awarded the Grand Prix de Rome, which gave the right to travel to Italy at the expense of the educational institution. It was there that he was impressed by ancient art and began to widely use its motifs in his work, to write nude nymphs, naiads and goddesses, whose academically flawless figures excited many lovers of beautiful nude at all times. From Italy, Cabanel brought the painting "Death of Moses", which immediately appealed to everyone at the Paris Salon in 1852 and established Cabanel in the status of the "right" artist who knows how to "paint beautifully".
The death of Moses
And for Cabanel began a sweet life - at the Paris salons, he exhibited constantly, from customers was not a selection, moreover, his paintings liked Napoleon Bonaparte himself. They perfectly corresponded to the tastes and philosophy of French wealthy aristocrats of the time, their irrepressible desire to enjoy sensual pleasures, but at the same time seem educated and enlightened. Hence this fascination with literary subjects and mythology. Cabanel knew the preferences of his customers perfectly and wrote not just nameless naiads, and turned to historical motifs, as in the painting "Cleopatra tests poison on the prisoners", depicted various literary and mythological characters.
Cleopatra tests poison on her prisoners
At the same time, the artwork was technically flawless, the texture of the fabric was amazingly rendered, the nudes were perfect, and the poses of the characters in his paintings, although theatrical, were very graceful. Beauty and decorativeness are at the top of the list, and the rest is of little importance. Cabanel paintings looked great in the rich interiors of palaces and luxurious living rooms. The powerful worlds of this is not stingy well-paid orders, titles and awards - and how can a simple man from all this to give up and write like beggar impressionists, just because it is a new art, and the old academism someone seems lifeless and vulgar? Cabanel was a pragmatic and reasonable man, and he knew his business perfectly. Later he taught at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he initiated students into the basics of academic painting.
Birth of Venus
At the Paris Salon in 1863, he presented the painting "Birth of Venus" - a real triumph of academism, where the unconcealed sensuality elegantly smoothed mythological plot. And in the same year Manet wrote his "Olympia", which the Parisian prudes of the time looked with undisguised prejudice and accused of obscenity: "yes, he depicted a prostitute, where is society going?". This is not the case with Cabanel's elegant academicism and the detachment of his characters from real life.
Ophelia
Cabanel always opposed the Impressionists, did not allow them to present their paintings at the Paris Salon, because he is seen by some as a hardened conservative, not giving way to the young and new art. Creativity itself Cabanel practically did not evolve, having found his niche, he remained in it all his life, and why change anything, if so and so everything suits everyone. But in his old age, he gradually changed his attitude to the Impressionists, became not their persecutor, but their defender: "gentlemen, few of you can write like Manet, let's pay tribute if not to the elegance of taste, so the skill of the artist. And strangely enough, these words can be attributed to the work of Cabanel himself.
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