JEAN-LOUIS ANDRE THEODORE GERICAULT

In Gericault attract realism gift poeticizing fact, the breadth of his courageous epic style, passion for life, pervades his work humanism.

Jean Louis Andre Theodore Gericault was born September 26, 1791 in Rouen. His father, George Nicola Gericault was a lawyer and his mother Louise Karyuel de Saint-Martin was from an old and wealthy bourgeois family.

Theodore no resemblance to his cautious, prudent and skeptical father. Once in 1797 or 1798 the family settled in Paris, the boy frequently ran with their peers in the Campus Martius, the Tuileries to the grid or to push up, to admire the military parade, or with a sinking heart, waiting for entry into Paris of Napoleon's army regiments.

Each summer he usually spent in Rouen, or the homeland of his father, in the vicinity of Mort. Here he could walk through the fields, sitting in the barn or in the forge. A deep sense of respect that had always had Gericault to people of Labour, was born precisely in these years.

In 1801 Theodore was placed in a boarding private school Dubois Loiseau, and then his father moved him to boarding, Rene Richard Castel. Theodore was thirteen years old. Lessons did not interest him. He forgot about them and covered the pages of his notebooks, drawings, fond of music and read a lot.

Since childhood, a boy addicted to the equestrian sport and is already at sixteen was a first-class rider. In Paris, he used every free day to go, or the Louvre, where his attention was riveted Rubens or a circus rider Franconi. And Morten, he fearlessly rode the brumby.

First in July 1808 Theodore left high school. It takes two solutions: buy your own horse and devote his life to painting. In autumn 1808 Gericault became a disciple of Karl Werne - pretty mediocre, but trendy at the time of the Paris battle-and genre painter, the great master to draw horses. Gericault, however, belonged to his teacher, was skeptical: "One of my horse eat his seven horses!"

Two years later, the young artist chooses to continue his studies workshop staunch follower of classicism of Pierre Guerin. Here Theodore started steadily and carefully study the nature, laws of composition and methods of the classic compilation. Gravity Gericault to the heroic images acquired quite a distinct character.

In autumn 1812 Gericault created his first large canvas - "An officer of the Imperial cavalry rangers during the attack, he presents it in the Salon of that year.

Photo — «Jean-louis Andre Theodore Gericault»

The picture was a success, it drew attention to the artistic circles of unknown until the name.

Painting is full of pathos, it breathes romance of battle. Gericault was awarded the gold medal. But, much to the dismay of the artist, now the government is not purchased.

In 1813, Gericault, who lived before with his father, moves into his own workshop. It creates in the years 1813-1814 a number of paintings and sketches on military topics: "Three horse-blower", "Cuirassier," "Sitting trumpeter. "

In the Salon in 1814 Gericault made a picture of "Wounded cuirassier.

If the "officer" the artist draws the image of a fearless young hero entrained shelf to win, then the wounded cuirassier "we see the tragic image of a wounded warrior who had experienced defeat, forced to leave the battlefield.

Painting was not successful. Coming work by Gericault, revolve around the continued military theme. It's a great sketch, "Departure of Artillery," "The cart with the wounded," "Attack cuirassiers.

In early 1816 Gericault went to Italy. Here he studied and copied antiques, works of Raphael and Michelangelo. Do Italian artists, he learned the tendencies to generalize, monumental, noble language, which will affect the work on the monumental designs coming years.

A new stage of the master, which began on his return to Paris, there has been the creation of the painting "The Raft of the Medusa" (1818-1819). In an effort to provide the canvas the story of salvation in a sea of ??people, shipwrecked, the artist made many preliminary Study.

Gericault multiplies sketches from life, works in the hospital, wrote tirelessly of patients and deaths.

"His studio - sends his biographer - has turned into a kind of mortuary, where he remained until the corpses of their expansion, working in an environment that only a short time to visit friends and to transfer the sitter. "

Not content with this, Gericault everywhere looking for a model that could serve as his true designs. Met by chance a friend Lebrun, jaundiced, he comes into raptures.

Giving the private event and a deep historical significance, Gericault reveals a picture of a complex range of human emotions - from despair and apathy to passionate hope for salvation.

In the Salon of 1819 the painting was seen and quickly became one of the main exhibits. Press looked around her struggle. By artistic estimated mingled and motives of political order: the work of Gericault was seen as a specific attack against the existing regime.

Photo — «Jean-louis Andre Theodore Gericault»

Gericault had not received the offer of the Government buying it.

Frustrated by the fact that his grand plan was not fully appreciated, Gericault in 1820 went to England, where he spent two years. There he became acquainted with John Constable, who with their enthusiasm aroused in Gericault new force, to persuade him to accept, in spite of who owned them depressed, for his second great work, "Horse in Epsom (1821).

Four horses whirlwind fly over the race, their front and hind legs stretched out parallel to the ground. The impression of extraordinary swiftness, flight. Horses, jockeys are written with great care, with some surprise to Gericault dryness. Conversely, landscape - covered with green grass plains with hills on the horizon, bkn sky - is written broadly generalized. It seems that the horses rush forward, but the earth is rapidly running away under their feet.

Vivid image of galloping horses, created by Gericault, acquired enormous popularity, became a sort of classic canon, was a repeat countless times, causing the impression of speed, flight.

In the spring of 1822 Gericault returned to France with failing health. Despite this, a few months, he manages to create some interesting pieces.

This is the first of his "Lime kiln", which should be regarded as an important stage in the development of realistic landscape.

This product supports progenitor realistic landscape, it raises the value of the landscape as an independent genre. "

In addition, Gericault creates a wonderful series of portraits of the mentally ill, among them "mad", "Possessed by delusions of theft. "

Unfortunately, serious illness did not allow the artist to realize all the talents. In February 1823 he took to his bed. Visited him in December 1823 Delacroix wrote in his diary: "Tonight I was in Gericault. What a sad evening! He dies, his leanness is terrible, and his thighs were as thick as my arm, his head - the head of a dying old man . . . what a horrible change "He returned home full of enthusiasm to his painting. In particular sketch of the head Carabinieri! remember him. This indicates that a milestone. Beautiful sketches! Which castle! What superiority" and die next to all these works, created in full force and passion of youth, when not Can not turn on my finger in his bed without outside help! "

Gericault died Jan. 26, 1824 at the age of 33 years.