Marie Antoinette's

Giovannia Battista Piranesi, Side Table. Gilt oak, lime wood, marble, 1768. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

As times changed at the palace of Versailles styles did as well. Madame du Pompadour as patron of the arts, loved the style of the Rococo, and its appeal lasted well through the first half of the 18th century.  With Madame du Barry filling her shoes, and the future king and queen Louis XVI, the Neoclassical style would become en vogue.

Rome is said to have been founded on April 21st, by Romulus and Remus.  To celebrate the mark on our calendars ( you did mark this date down right?) here are some 18th century views of the famous capital.

Have you been to Tivoli? What about 18th century Tivloi? (here is your chance!)

A city set on rising ground, a mere thirty miles from Rome; the town was celebrated in the age of Augustus, and promoted by Horace, it was visualized by Turner and Piranesi, described as splendid, rich with vegetation and olive trees.  The gardens and waterfalls inspired Fragonard, and you can see them in the painting above on the left.  It was the home of the Temple of Sibyl and Vestus; the excavation of the site made a famous place for excursions in the 18th century.  It was noted that those who wished to visit the city of Tivoli do so in May or October when the weather was most fair and dry.  All the buzz about the town brought artists there.

The Temple of Sibyl at Tivoli was famous as the oldest in the city, round and flanked by four splendid ionic columns.  By the end of the 18th century the Temple of Sibyl had been converted to a church, and visitors found nothing much on the interior.  Rather the exterior and setting were the main attraction of the site.

The hillside was so high it overlooked the town all the way to the sea, several waterfalls adding movement and a calmness through the area.  In the 18th century Tivoli was a best kept secret- highly appreciated when visited.  With its rich history and ideal surroundings it is no wonder the site became so popular, not only for tourists, but for art as well. 

The exhibition Tivoli: Variations on a Landscape in the 18th Century focuses on just that.  The paintings and drawings collected for the show illustrate how landscape changed over the years 1720-1830.

The exhibition will feature over fifty works created during the 18th century, the artists are varied and some you may know: Boucher, Piranesi, &c. Each artist viewed the same landscape and tried to capture it on canvas or paper.  Each result is different, and as you view the exhibition you can see the changes applied by the artists, the shifts in their views, and you may begin to see what drew them there in the first place!

The exhibition is being held at the Musée Cognacq-Jay, one of my favorite Parisian museums, from 18 November 2010 through 20 February 2011

If you cannot make it there is a catalog with full color illustrations and accompanying information on the show.
Some sites say the catalog is being released this December, but you can grab it now at Amazon.fr or artbooks.com  I will post other places to buy when they appear!  Please let us know if you make it to this show!

I leave you with:  (still makes me laugh!)

Jacques-Louis David,  Battle between Minerva and Mars. 1771, oil on canvas. Musée du Louvre.

Giovanni Battista Piranesi – where to start! He began his career in architecture with a typical apprenticeship under his uncle (family thing!), eventually landing him a position as a draftsman in Rome, with the papal court.  His position at court was satisfactory, as could be expected, already talented in drawing, he continued to improve his skills which would lead him to success as an artist in 18th century Rome.

Drawing scenes of the ruins and buildings of Rome was only useful if one could actually sell the work and make a profit. It did not take him long to realize members of the court were not looking for images of the ruins to adorn their studies.  They could look out the window for that!   However, just outside, riding in posh carriages were rich men, young and old, taking the Grand Tour. Who better to sell works of art to? And as a bonus: they were willing to spend.

Paintings and drawings were desired but prints were ideal.  They could easily be reproduced, and therefore you could make a larger profit on a single work or view.  They were also affordable to purchase. The demand was for vedute, or views.  Like a modern day postcard, those on the Grand Tour would purchase the artworks to take home.  They were a reminder of the amazing sights from the trip!

When he was 27 he opened a studio in Rome.  It was typical for artists to depict ruins as background elements, decorative and pictorial, adding a classic and beautiful tone to a scene.  Piranesi portrayed his ruins slightly different. By bringing the ruins to the foreground of an image and portraying the worn, crumbling surfaces he was able to depict time in the form of nature overtaking architecture.

Upon the ruins, vines and leaves would sprout, grass and moss would grow. Here is a great example. In some cases this vegetation would completely cover sections of a ruin. The effects of wind and precipitation were made apparent as well, and the man-made object would, in turn, return to nature.  Surfaces deteriorate and this was impressive detail he skillfully captured in his prints.

Piranesi’s artwork stood apart from his peers. He did not create compositions based on a central vanishing point as was traditional; the result was a much more dynamic composition with more depth. He also took advantage of contrast to further imply the illusion of depth, space and detail.

We may sink into melancholy when looking at ruins, some of us may just see them as a reminder of the past or even of our own mortality.  For others it may bring pleasure - as a place so far removed from our everyday lives.