Ogni artista intinge il pennello nella sua anima,
e dipinge la sua stessa natura nelle sue immagini.
e dipinge la sua stessa natura nelle sue immagini.
Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887)
Maternal Affection
Spesso paragonato a William-Adolphe Bouguereau, che conobbe nel 1862 e del quale condivise temi sentimentali espressi con tecniche chiroscurali affini, Hugues Merle nacque nel 1823 nel villaggio di Saint-Marcellin nella regione dell'Isère ( situato nel Sud-Est della Francia). Poco ci è dato di sapere della sua famiglia e della sua educazione infantile; per certo sappiamo che come comunità, quella dell'Isère era connotata da un forte accento politico ed era nota per le profonde radici protestanti e per il supporto quasi uniforme a favore dell'Impero e non a caso all'inizio della sua carriera Merle dipinse una serie di opere pro-impero che potrebbero essere una chiara espressione delle sue origini.
Accettato quale studente all'École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, la più prestigiosa scuola per artisti dell'intera nazione, egli si iscrisse presso lo studio di Léon Cogniet (1784-1880) famoso e capace pittore anche se ricordato principalmente per le proprie doti in fatto di insegnamento; Merle iniziò ad esporre le proprie opere al Salon (Parigi) nel 1847 e dopo aver ricevuto il secondo premio nel 1861 e nel 1863, venne nominato Chevalier de la Legion d' Honor nel 1866.
Guardando ai suoi dipinti si potrebbero quasi distinguere tre differenti fasi evolutivo-espressive della sua produzione, poiché partendo dai tele di natura propriamente storica, approda alle scene di carattere romantico - sentimentale intorno agli anni '50 per concludere con le figure tratte dal repertorio letterario, anche stimolato dalla traduzione in francese da parte di François-Victor Hugo, figlio del celeberrimo scrittore, di tutte le opere di William Shakespeare, cui attinsero il teatro, la scultura ed, appunto, anche la pittura.
Guardando ai suoi dipinti si potrebbero quasi distinguere tre differenti fasi evolutivo-espressive della sua produzione, poiché partendo dai tele di natura propriamente storica, approda alle scene di carattere romantico - sentimentale intorno agli anni '50 per concludere con le figure tratte dal repertorio letterario, anche stimolato dalla traduzione in francese da parte di François-Victor Hugo, figlio del celeberrimo scrittore, di tutte le opere di William Shakespeare, cui attinsero il teatro, la scultura ed, appunto, anche la pittura.
Romeo and Juliet
Tristan and Isolde
Ma è nell'ambito della pittura così detta di 'genere', nelle scene affettive e familiari, che a mio modo di vedere egli riesce ad esprimere il meglio di sé, basta osservare i volti dei protagonisti dei suoi dipinti ... non occorre leggerne e conoscerne il titolo, lo si comprende dalle espressioni ritratte, dalle luci che si accordano con gli stati d'animo che egli vuole suscitare e comunicare, dai temi scelti che infondono serenità d'animo ...
Grandmother's Story
The Embroidery Lesson
Young Girl Holding A Sleeping Baby
Mother and Children
Best Friends
The First Thorns of Knowledge
Mother and Child
Afternoon Dreaming (detail)
Good Sister
Chi ha arte o scienza
quegli ha anche religione;
Chi non ha arte o scienza
quegli abbia religione.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1842)
Che nel vostro cuore trovi sempre spazio la gioia per le piccole cose, mie carissimi lettori, ve lo auguro sinceramente ...
A presto 💕
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- picture 1 - Maternal Affection
Often compared to William-Adolphe Bouguereau, whom he met in 1862 and with which he shared sentimental themes expressed with similar chiroscurali techniques, Hugues Merle was born in 1823 in the village of Saint-Marcellin, located in the Isère region (South-East of France). Just a little we are given to know about his family and his childhood education; we do know that as a community, the Isère was marked by a strong political accent and was known for deep Protestant roots and for an almost uniform support in favor of the Empire and not by chance early in his career Merle painted a series of pro-empire works that could be a clear expression of its origins.
Accepted as a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the most prestigious school for artists of the entire nation, he enrolled at the studio of Léon Cogniet(1784-1880) famous and capable painter although primarily remembered for his talents in teaching; Merle began to exhibit his works at the Salon (Paris) in 1847, received the second prize in 1861 and in 1863 and was appointed Chevalier de la Legion d'Honor in 1866.
Looking at his paintings we could distinguish three different evolutionary-expressive stages of his production, since starting from the strictly historical paintings, lands to the romantic – sentimental scenes nearly in the 50ies to finish with figures taken from the literary repertoire, also stimulated by the translation into French by François-Victor Hugo, son of the famous writer, of all the works of William Shakespeare, by which drew the theater, sculpture and, of course, also painting.
- picture 2 - Romeo and Juliet
- picture 3 - Tristan and Isolde
But it is in paintings so-called 'of genre', in affective and familiar scenes, that, in my view, he's able to express the best of his artistitalent, just look at the faces of the protagonists of his paintings ... it's needless to read and know their title, you can understand it by the expressions portrayed, by the lights that accord with the states of mind he wants to stimulate and communicate, by the themes chosen to infuse peace of one's soul ...
- picture 4 - Grandmother's Story
- picture 5 - The Embroidery Lesson
- picture 6 - Young Girl Holding A Sleeping Baby
- picture 7 - Mother and Children
- picture 8 - Best Friends
- picture 9 - The First Thorns of Knowledge
- picture 10 - Mother and Child
- picture 11 - Afternoon Dreaming (detail)
- picture 12 - Good Sister
May the joy for the little things always dwell in your heart, my dear readers, that's my sincere and fond wish for you ...
See you soon 💕
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"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,
and paints his own nature into his pictures."
Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887)
- picture 1 - Maternal Affection
Often compared to William-Adolphe Bouguereau, whom he met in 1862 and with which he shared sentimental themes expressed with similar chiroscurali techniques, Hugues Merle was born in 1823 in the village of Saint-Marcellin, located in the Isère region (South-East of France). Just a little we are given to know about his family and his childhood education; we do know that as a community, the Isère was marked by a strong political accent and was known for deep Protestant roots and for an almost uniform support in favor of the Empire and not by chance early in his career Merle painted a series of pro-empire works that could be a clear expression of its origins.
Accepted as a student at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, the most prestigious school for artists of the entire nation, he enrolled at the studio of Léon Cogniet(1784-1880) famous and capable painter although primarily remembered for his talents in teaching; Merle began to exhibit his works at the Salon (Paris) in 1847, received the second prize in 1861 and in 1863 and was appointed Chevalier de la Legion d'Honor in 1866.
Looking at his paintings we could distinguish three different evolutionary-expressive stages of his production, since starting from the strictly historical paintings, lands to the romantic – sentimental scenes nearly in the 50ies to finish with figures taken from the literary repertoire, also stimulated by the translation into French by François-Victor Hugo, son of the famous writer, of all the works of William Shakespeare, by which drew the theater, sculpture and, of course, also painting.
- picture 2 - Romeo and Juliet
- picture 3 - Tristan and Isolde
But it is in paintings so-called 'of genre', in affective and familiar scenes, that, in my view, he's able to express the best of his artistitalent, just look at the faces of the protagonists of his paintings ... it's needless to read and know their title, you can understand it by the expressions portrayed, by the lights that accord with the states of mind he wants to stimulate and communicate, by the themes chosen to infuse peace of one's soul ...
- picture 4 - Grandmother's Story
- picture 5 - The Embroidery Lesson
- picture 6 - Young Girl Holding A Sleeping Baby
- picture 7 - Mother and Children
- picture 8 - Best Friends
- picture 9 - The First Thorns of Knowledge
- picture 10 - Mother and Child
- picture 11 - Afternoon Dreaming (detail)
- picture 12 - Good Sister
He who possesses science and art,
has religion;
he who possesses neither science nor art,
let him get religion.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1842)
May the joy for the little things always dwell in your heart, my dear readers, that's my sincere and fond wish for you ...
See you soon 💕
