Royal academy of painting and sculpture

The royal Academy of painting and sculpture was an institution of state charged to control and teach the Peinture and the Sculpture in France during the Ancien Mode.

History

The Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture was founded in France in 1648, under the regency of Anne of Austria, at the instigation of a group of painters, to which belongbelonged Philippe de Champaigne and Charles Le Brun, with an aim of thwarting the influence of the Guildes of Saint-Luc and of raising the statute of the artists which was not distinct from that of the craftsmen.

The Academy had in fact to be able little until Colbert saw there a means of putting the artists at the service and under the control of the State, and which he became the godfather about it. He was named by it Vice guard in 1663 and Charles Le Brun, his preferred, directing painter. In parallel was created the Académie from France to Rome in 1666.

Jacques-Louis David, although he was member, had always rebelled against the authority of the Academy and the privileges of its members. It obtained dissolution in from it 1793 after a speech with the national Convention in August. It was replaced the following year by the Institute which itself was replaced with the Restauration by the Académie of the Art schools, and finally called Institut of France.

Administration

The Academy was managed by a director chosen among his members. It was often the favorite painter of the King.

(See the List of the directors of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.)

Admission

She admitted her members on annual contest. The contest consisted of the presentation of one or more works, judged by the allowed members. It counted to approximately 90 members in 1793, right before its dissolution.
The prize winner of the contest received a purse called Prix of Rome, allowing him to perfect his education with Rome with the Academy of France.
The admission with the Academy ensured the access to the royal orders.

Living room

As from 1667, to irregular frequency initially, the Academy exposed the paintings of the candidates to the Price of Rome. This exposure was organized for the first time in the Salon of Apollo to the Louvre, from where the origin of the name Salon.

The frequency of these Living rooms became more regular as from 1737.

Function

The Academy had 2 principal functions: regulation and teaching.

Regulation

The Academy was an artistic place of reflection, and the academicians worked out there the code of Practice and the good taste. The theories of the Academy acted practically as law in the world of the art of the time.
In agreement with the principles of the Classicisme, style dominating, it was implicitly recognized and taught that all that had relationship with Art was to be subjected to rational rules, which could consequently be learned and étudiées.
The kinds were divided and treated on a hierarchical basis. The painting of history came in first, because it was supposed to ask a main intellectual effort of knowledge, interpretation and composition. Then the kinds came known as `' from observation'' which were the portrait and the still life. This hierarchy appeared at the time of the entrance examinations where the painters of history were held to provide only one work against two for the others genres.
Other kinds were added, such `' the gallant festivals'' in the honor of Antoine Watteau, which however did not call into question the hierarchy.

Teaching

The members of the Academy opened a studio where they taught the official principles of art to the apprentices artists, painters and sculpteurs.
Under the direction of Charles Antoine Coypel was created the School of the Pupils Protected in order to make it possible gifted elements to prepare for the Price of Rome.

Its influence

It is undeniable that the Academy had a considerable influence on art in France, and also on the whole of the Europe, because of the radiation of the French culture of the époque.
The official theories were the classicism of Poussin, whose Charles Le Brun had married the cause, and the Néoclassicisme, after the short interlude Rococo under Regency. These theories were applied to large scales. It was necessary to wait the 19th century to see a diversity of movements and schools to call into question the Académie of the Art schools, heiress of the Royal Academy.

Some members

See too

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