Lot n° 250
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4000 - 6000
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François Marius GRANET (1775-1849) - Lot 250
François Marius GRANET (1775-1849)
The Capuchin Choir in Piazza Barberini
Annotated on verso intérieur des capucins Granet, circa 1822, number 41
Oil on canvas
40.5 × 32.5 cm.
The Choir of the Capuchins in Piazza Barberini is one of François-Marius Granet's most famous compositions.
The painting has its origins in the traumatic occupation of Rome by Napoleonic troops in 1809, which led to the dissolution of the religious congregations and the exile of the Pope. Deeply saddened to find the Capuchin choir in Piazza Barberini emptied of its monks, Granet conceived this painting to restore the pre-Revolutionary atmosphere of fervor to this dead church. Granet chose to focus on the church's prayer and rituals, even though the convent was famous at the time for its bone-filled vaults. With a skilful play of chiaroscuro and the sunbeam hitting the monks from behind, he dramatizes his reconstruction, sublimates the woodwork and accentuates the perspective of his composition.
As recalled in the catalog of the exhibition Paesaggi perduti, Granet a Roma 1802-1824 (American Academy in Rome 1996-1997), this composition was first shown in Rome in 1814, and had a resounding echo throughout Europe. Such was its success that Granet was summoned to present the work to Pope Pius VII, as well as to King Charles IV of Spain. In response to the overwhelming response, Granet produced at least fifteen variations of the painting. One of the most famous, after being exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1819, was presented by the artist to Tsar Alexander I of Russia in 1821 and is now in the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (ГЭ-1322), while another is in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon (Inv. A 2870). The painting we present is one of these versions.
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