Gros, Antoine-Jean

Gros,
Antoine-Jean (1771-1835). French painter. He trained with his father, a
miniaturist and then with Jacques-Louis David.Although he revered David and
became one of his favorite pupils, Gros had a passionate nature and he was
drawn more to the color and vibrancy of Rubens and the great Venetian painters
than to the Neoclassical purity of his master.

In 1793
Gros went to Italy, where he met Napoleon and was appointed his official battle
painter. He followed Napoleon on his campaigns, and his huge paintings such as
The Battle of Eylau (Louvre, Paris, 1808) are among the most stirring images of
the Napoleonic era. Compared to the contemporary war scenes of Goya, they are
glamorous lies, but they are painted with such dramatic skill and panache that
they cannot but be admired on their own terms.

When David
went into exile after the fall of Napoleon, Gros took over his studio, and
tried to work in a more consciously Neoclassical style. He never again
approached the quality of his Napoleonic pictures, however (although he painted
excellent portraits), and haunted by a sense of failure he drowned himself in
the Seine.

Gros is
regarded as one of the leading figures in the development of Romanticism; the
color and drama of his work influenced Gйricault, Delacroix, and his pupil Bonington
amongst others.

Список литературы

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