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Charles LeBrun (1619 -1690)
First Painter to King Louis XIV
The
seventeenth century was a seminal period in the development of
French culture. It was also the century of the Sun King , a monarch
with categorically extravagant tastes who spent a considerable
fortune surrounding himself with outstanding artists who he used for
his own glorification. In so doing he acquired exclusive rights to a
First Painter who was a match for the grandeur of his aspirations.
Charles LeBrun became the all-powerful, peerless master of
seventeenth century French art.
Never in the history of
French painting had an artist known such resplendent glory.
The goal of satisfying a king whose grandiose
dreams surpassed both the imagination and the budget proved nearly
impossible. Poussin rejected the challenge; Le Brun accepted it and
succeeded. The list of his magnificent achievements is
impressive indeed. He was responsible for the
decoration of the châteaux of Versailles, Vaux, and Hesselin, the
council apartments in the Louvre, and numerous churches. He founded
the Royal Academy of Painting, the French Academy in Rome,
and the great academic schools. Artists and artisans vied for
the honour of working with him and basking in his glory.
Early in his career he produced works for Louis
XIII, Pope Urban VIIl and the Queen Mother Anne of Austria. He later
became Chancellor for Life of the Académie de France.,
Rector in Perpetuity of the Royal Academy, as well as co-founder
and Director of the Gobelins tapestry works. He was given
titles of Nobility by the King's court and became a Member of
the Académie St. Luc in Rome; he was subsequently elected
Prince in Rome, named to the Academy of Architecture and
appointed Official Custodian of the King's paintings. He was
the originator of the style known as Louis XIV and a staunch
promoter of academicism. His approach consisted first and
foremost of a highly intellectual and spiritual quest. He was not
fond of portrait or landscape painting, which he felt to be a mere
exercise in developing technical prowess. What
mattered was scholarly composition, whose ultimate goal was to
nourish the spirit.
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