Marie Antoinette's

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!

Fragonard worked for a month in Tivoli drawing and sketching. Possibly one of his most notable works to come out of his time there was The Gardens of the Villa d'Este, Tivoli (The Little Park). Done in oils, the composition is a view into the garden, where several figures work, relax and tour.

The foreground is lit by a warm glow, possibly from a sun spot, where two figures lounge near the guarding stone lions. A third figure pushes a barrel along the walkway and there are others behind him. The statute behind these figures lead the viewer up to the above garden area, which can be seen through engulfing foliage. The trees bend and create a frame for us, and the figures within are flanked by two large statutes on each side. Through this lush frame appears to be a wide open area, where the sun casts a general daylight and two figures wander, admiring the landscape.

As a whole, the dominating growth of nature really swallows the figures. They become small and almost ant like next to the bushy trees and vines which reach out towards them. Even the stone fencing is swallowed by the flourishing plants. They are not static either. They move and quiver in the wind, swirl around the scene and frame those within. They cast shadow and shade, while overwhelming all that is man-made.