Carolus-Duran

Charles Emile Auguste Durand (or During ) known as Carolus-Duran (July 4th 1837 with Lille - February 17th 1917 with Paris) is a French painter.

Sometimes qualified of “painter society man”, he was the portraitist of the women and children of the high society of the Third Republic. This artist is the prototype of the portraitist society man and skilful. He was one of the founders of the National company of the Art schools; he was French principal of Rome.

Its life

Wire of hotel, he learns the drawing near the sculptor Augustin-Phidias Cadet by Bowsprit to the Academy from Lille, then studies during two years painting near François Souchon, itself raises David. It arrives at Paris in 1853 and takes the pseudonym of Carolus-Duran then. It follows the courses of the Swiss Académie of 1859 to 1861. It is influenced at the beginning of its career by the realism of Gustave Courbet, which it meets about this time, and binds friendship with Edouard Manet, Henri Fantin-Latour, Felix Bracquemond and Zacharie Astruc. It is also in 1859 qu ' it exposes for the first time to the Salon.

Of 1862 with 1866, it travels to Rome and in Spain thanks to a grant of its birthplace. Its style is transformed by it: he forsakes the influence of Billhook for that of Diego Vélasquez, of which he will be with Manet one of the most enthusiastic admirors. Of return in France, it still exposes to the Living room and receives for the first time a gold medal in 1866.

It marries Pauline Croizette, pastellist and miniaturist, he paints in 1869 a portrait which remains one of its masterpieces, the Lady with the glove . They will have three children, two girls and a boy. Their elder Marie-Anne will marry Georges Feydeau later.

Starting from 1870, following the success of the Lady to the glove , it is devoted mainly to the portraits. Its success enables him to open a studio with Montparnasse, where he teaches painting according to Velasquez. It receives the Légion of honor in 1872 and it is made officer in 1878, commander in 1889 and large officer in 1900.

In 1889 with 1900, he is member of the jury of each World Fair. It takes part in 1890 in the foundation of the National company of the Art schools. He is elected member of the Académie of the Art schools in 1904 and he is named director of the Académie from France to Rome in 1905, station which he occupies until in 1913.

Carolus-Duran was assiduous seaside resort of Saint Aygulf (Var) or it had a villa (Unfortunately destroyed today) and in which it liked to gather its family. The seaside resort has two fabrics offered by Carolus-Duran which are in the vault (integrated into the church of our lady of the Assumption), Christ in cross (unfinished) and the embalming of Christ 1882. Some of its tables are signed besides " Carolus-Duran Holy Aygulf ". Moreover the Seaside resort dedicated a place and a beach in the name of the Master.

The workshop and the teaching of Carolus-Duran

The workshop of Carolus-Duran counts on average 25 students, of which two thirds are English or American, among which John Singer Sargent, which carried out of him a portrait, Maximilien Luce, Carroll Beckwidth, Hamilton Minchin, Will H. Low, Paul Helleu, Robert Alan Mowbray Stevenson.

Carolus-Duran visits its pupils in a regular way Tuesday and Friday. It examines each work in progress then, never not looking at the pupil himself. It raises then the hand in order to receive a brush or a mine and even corrects on work, without practically making comments. Teaching is free, out a participation in the heating of the workshop and the hiring of the models.

Carolus-Duran adheres to the maxim: “To express the maximum with the minimum of means”. According to him, a portrait must be carried out starting from an outline, directly on the fabric, without preparatory drawing. The five or six principal surfaces of the face owe beings posed initially, without being amalgamated, and the details built with same the fabric. The attention must relate to the light effects on the surface rather than to a construction of masses and volumes. William Bouguereau, the Master of the academism, will regard this attitude as erroneous.

Thursday morning, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., the workshop is opened with the public and the Master condescends to grant audience. Carolus-Duran can play perfectly of its enormous success near its customers of the high society and has fun to see this one going so good hour there.

Its work

Whereas French painting was in full evolution with the impressionist and their disciples, it was often reproached Carolus-Duran, in particular by Camille Pissarro, not to use its technique and its talent obvious in a more adventurous way and to only devote itself has portraits, certainly remunerative, but conventional. Emile Zola said of him: “Only Carolus-duran is skilful; it makes Manet comprehensible to the middle-class man, it is inspired some only until known limits, by seasoning it with the taste of the public. Add that it is an extremely skilful technician, knowing to like in the majority. ”

Carolus-Duran knew to sail between the academism of a Cabanel and its disciples and the experimentation of its bolder contemporaries. It also knew to insufflate with its portraits a naturalness and a life which leave them the batch.

Its tables of silhouettes of black rocks on the beach of Audresselles, representative of the 20th century at the same time by their power and their sobriety, contradict the assertions of Zola partly.

Gallery

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