Regnault, Jean-Baptiste
The wedding between Jerome Bonaparte and Catherine of WurtembergOil on canvas
Height: 4 m (13.1 ft); Width: 6.4 m (21.1 ft)
Palace of Versailles
Signature of the marriage contract of Prince Jérôme Bonaparte and Frédérique-Catherine of Wurtemberg. In the presence of the imperial family at the Tuileries, August 22, 1807
Depicted people: Caroline Bonaparte, Elisa Bonaparte, Hortense de Beauharnais, Jerome Bonaparte, Joseph Bonaparte, Josephine de Beauharnais, Julie Clary, Letizia Bonaparte, Louis-Alexandre Berthier, Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon, Pauline Bonaparte
Diogenes visited by Alexander
Oil / canvas
High. in cm: 119 . High. in cm: 145 .
National Ecole des Beaux-Arts , France
"Thereupon many statesmen and philosophers came to Alexander with their congratulations, and he expected that Diogenes of Sinope also, who was tarrying in Corinth, would do likewise. But since that philosopher took not the slightest notice of Alexander, and continued to enjoy his leisure in the suburb Craneion, Alexander went in person to see him, and he found him lying in the sun. Diogenes raised himself up a little when he saw so many people coming towards him, and fixed his eyes upon Alexander. And when that monarch addressed him with greetings, and asked if he wanted anything, "Yes," said Diogenes, "stand a little out of my sun."[7] It is said that Alexander was so struck by this, and admired so much the haughtiness and grandeur of the man who had nothing but scorn for him, that he said to his followers, who were laughing and jesting about the philosopher as they went away, "But truly, if I were not Alexander, I wish I were Diogenes." Plutarch
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
The Education of Achilles by Chiron, c. 1782
Oil on canvas
Height: 261 cm (102.7 in); Width: 215 cm (84.6 in)
Louvre Museum
Beautifully composed, the two figures are depicted in perfect juxtaposition: young versus old, man versus centaur, light versus dark. Yet, the result is a lyrical harmony enhanced by both the narrative and aesthetic presence of the piece. More on the Education of Achilles by Chiron
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
The Three Graces, c. between 1793 and 1794
Oil on canvas
Height: 204 cm (80.3 in); Width: 153.5 cm (60.4 in)
Louvre Museum)
Attributed to Baron Jean Baptiste Regnault
The Three Graces
Oil on canvas
31 x 23.2 cm; 12 1/8 by 9 1/8 in
Private collection
In Greek mythology, a Charis or Grace is one of three or more minor goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, and fertility, together known as the Charites or Graces. The usual list, from youngest to oldest is Aglaea ("Splendor"), Euphrosyne ("Mirth"), and Thalia ("Good Cheer"). In Roman mythology they were known as the Gratiae, the "Graces". In some variants, Charis was one of the Graces and was not the singular form of their name.
The Charites were usually considered the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome, though they were also said to be daughters of Dionysus and Aphrodite or of Helios and the naiad Aegle. Other possible names of their mother by Zeus are Eurydome, Eurymedousa, and Euanthe. Homer wrote that they were part of the retinue of Aphrodite. The Charites were also associated with the Greek underworld and the Eleusinian Mysteries.
The river Cephissus near Delphi was sacred to them. More Three Graces (aka the Charities)
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
The Flood, circa 1789
Oil on canvas
Height: 89 cm (35 in); Width: 71 cm (27.9 in)
Louvre Museum
A great flood is one of the most common elements in most mythologies. Floods appear in several variations across many quite different mythologies, and are a popular subject for depiction in European and non-European paintings.
The best-known story, at least in Europe, is that given in the Old Testament, in Genesis Chapters 6-9: the people of the world had become wicked and turned their backs on God, so God decided to send a flood to wipe them off the face of the earth. Only the faithful Noah and his family were to be spared, in recognition of their more godly ways. Noah was therefore told to build a large vessel, the Ark, into which he placed himself, his family, and a breeding pair of all the animals and birds on the earth. More on The Flood
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
The Descent from the Cross, c. 1789
Oil on canvas
Height: 4.2 m (13.9 ft); Width: 2.3 m (91.7 in)
Louvre Museum
Depicted people: John the Apostle, Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus
This altarpiece was commissioned for the chapel in the Château de Fontainiebleau.
The Descent from the Cross, or Deposition of Christ, is the scene, as depicted in art, from the Gospels' accounts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus taking Christ down from the cross after his crucifixion. In Byzantine art the topic became popular in the 9th century, and in the West from the 10th century. The Descent from the Cross is the 13th Station of the Cross.
Other figures not mentioned in the Gospels who are often included in depictions of this subject include St. John the Evangelist, who is sometimes depicted supporting a fainting Mary, and Mary Magdalene. More on the decent from the cross
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
Socrates Tears Alcibiades from the Embrace of Sensual Pleasure, c. 1791
Oil on canvas
H. 46 cm (18 in.), W. 68 cm (26 ¾ in.)
Louvre Museum
In this painting, the great philosopher Socrates forcibly tries to tear the young man out of the embrace of a personified Sensuality. This didactic image highlights Socrates as a model of rational thought, denouncing his student’s flight to earthly charms. The painting captures the moral dilemma of virtue versus pleasure for a celebrated Athenian youth, although this particular scene cannot be traced to any literary source. In a more general sense, according to Plato’s Symposium paraphrased by J. H. Lesher, Alcibiades “rejected Socrates’ attempt to recruit him into the philosophical life and fell back, with a palpable sense of shame and failure, into the pursuit of political power and popularity.” More on this painting
Regnault was born in Paris, and began life at sea in a merchant vessel. At the age of fifteen his talent attracted attention, and he was sent to Italy by M. de Monval under the care of Bardin. After his return to Paris in 1776, Regnault won the Grand Prix for his painting Alexandre and Diogène (See above), and in 1783 he was elected to the French Académie des Beaux-Arts. His diploma picture, The Education of Achilles by Chiron the Centaur (See above), is now in the Louvre, as also are his The Three Graces (See above), The Flood (See above), Descente de croix (Christ taken down from the Cross, originally executed for the royal chapel at Fontainebleau) (See above) and Socrate arrachant Alcibiade du sein de la Volupté (See above).
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
Dibutades Tracing the Portrait of a Shepherd, c. 1785
Oil on canvas
120 x 140 cm
Musée National du Château, Versailles
Long ago in the city of Corinth in Ancient Greece, a young maid traced the contour of her lover’s face on the wall. The man was leaving on a long trip. So, she figured out a way to preserve his image. With the help of a lamp, she cast the shadow of his profile and used it as a guide. And that is how the painting was born.
In the last decades of the eighteenth century there was a widespread vogue for paintings that evoked the origins of art. Instead of the usual allegories or emblematic paintings of tools of the trade, two anecdotal subjects were often handled: "Dibutades Tracing the Portrait of a Shepherd" and "Pygmalion and Galatea" (sculpture). In both cases, love was at the heart of the work. The former subject, extraordinarily popular during the last third of the century, concerned the legend of a young woman from Corinth, who outlined the shadow cast on a wall by her beloved. It was held to be a valid illustration of the origins of art, combined with the amorous motivation required by that sentimental age. The anecdote was cited in art manuals as early as 1760, and was familiar to every studio. More on this painting
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
The Origin of Sculpture, c. 1786
Oil on canvas
Height: 120 cm (47.2 in); Width: 140 cm (55.1 in)
Palace of Versailles
The Propoetides denied the divinity of Venus. For that, the goddess first hardened their hearts by turning them into prostitutes, and finally into hard flint rocks.
Pygmalion had seen the Propoetides, and became celibate as a result of his revulsion. He still wanted married love, though, and carved himself the most perfect and lifelike statue of a woman in ivory. He kissed it lovingly, spoke to it, and dressed it in fine clothing.
When the festival of Venus arrived, Pygmalion prayed that he should have a bride who was the living likeness of his statue. Venus heard this, and the sacred flame rose to indicate her response. Pygmalion returned home, rejoicing that his prayer might be answered.
His marriage to the former statue was blessed by Venus, and nine months later they celebrated the birth of their daughter, whom they called Paphos, after whom the island was named. More on this painting
Regnault used to theme for an overdoor in the queen's Grand Cabinet at Versailles, at the same time painting a Pygmalion for her bedchamber. There are numerous examples of this subject up to about 1820, culminating with Fuseli and Girodet.
His L'origine de la peinture and L'origine de la sculpture (See above), or Pygmalion amoureux de sa statue (See above) are now at the Palace of Versailles.
Jean-Baptiste Regnault
Venus and Adonis
oil on canvas
89 3/8 by 67 3/8 in.; 227 by 171 cm.
Private collection
Venus and Adonis is a narrative poem by William Shakespeare published in 1593, the same year that Christopher Marlowe published Hero and Leander and Thomas Nashe published The Choice of Valentines, all three classic erotic poems. It is probably Shakespeare's first publication.
The poem tells the story of Venus, who is Goddess of Love, and her attempted seduction of Adonis, an extremely handsome young man, who would rather go hunting. The poem is dramatic, pastoral, and at times erotic, comic, tragic, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral. It contains discourses on the nature of love, and many brilliantly described observations of nature. More Venus and Adonis
Almost always, the artist features softly rounded figures with pearly velvety flesh tones which play off against swaths of luxuriously rendered materials. These pictures were often executed for the artists own artistic satisfaction as no public commissions for works of this size are recorded, and many private homes of the time could rarely accommodate such large pictures. Through his preference for the mythological scene, Regnault was able to capitalize on the depiction of the female form in a variety of scenes, and his success in depicting the mythological female form as supremely sensual and elegant is apparent throughout his oeuvre. More on this painting
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
The death of Adonis, c. between 1800 and 1825
Oil on panel
Height: 24 cm (9.4 in); Width: 19 cm (7.4 in)
Louvre museum
Adonis was the mortal lover of the goddess Aphrodite in Greek mythology. He was conceived after Aphrodite cursed his mother Myrrha to lust after her own father, King Cinyras of Cyprus. Myrrha had sex with her father in complete darkness for nine nights, but he discovered her identity and chased her with a sword. The gods transformed her into a myrrh tree and, in the form of a tree, she gave birth to Adonis.
Aphrodite found the infant and gave him to be raised by Persephone, the queen of the Underworld. Adonis grew into an astonishingly handsome young man, causing Aphrodite and Persephone to feud over him, with Zeus eventually decreeing that Adonis would spend one third of the year in the Underworld with Persephone, one third of the year with Aphrodite, and the final third of the year with whomever he chose. Adonis chose to spend his final third of the year with Aphrodite.
One day, Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip and died in Aphrodite's arms as she wept. His blood mingled with her tears and became the anemone flower. More on The death of Adonis
Jean Baptiste Regnault (Paris 1754-1829)
Danaë
Oil on canvas
19 7/8 x 24 1/8 in. (50.5 x 61.3 cm.)
Private collection
Disappointed by his lack of male heirs, King Acrisius asked the oracle of Delphi if this would change. The oracle announced to him that he would never have a son, but his daughter would, and that he would be killed by his daughter's son. At the time, Danae was childless and, meaning to keep her so, she was imprisoned in a tall brass tower with a single richly adorned chamber, but with no doors or windows, just a sky-light. However, Zeus, the king of the gods, desired her, and came to her in the form of golden rain which streamed in through the roof of the subterranean chamber and down into her womb. Soon after, their child Perseus was born.
Unwilling to provoke the wrath of the gods or the Furies by killing his offspring and grandchild, King Acrisius cast Danaë and Perseus into the sea in a wooden chest. The sea was calmed by Poseidon and, at the request of Zeus, the pair survived. They were washed ashore on the island of Seriphos, where they were taken in by Dictys – the brother of King Polydectes – who raised Perseus to manhood. The King was charmed by Danaë, but she had no interest in him. Consequently, he agreed not to marry her only if her son would bring him the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Using Athena's shield, Hermes's winged sandals and Hades' helmet of invisibility, Perseus was able to evade Medusa's gaze and decapitate her.
Later, after Perseus brought back Medusa's head and rescued Andromeda, the oracle's prophecy came true. He started for Argos, but learning of the prophecy, instead went to Larissa, where athletic games were being held. By chance, an aging Acrisius was there and Perseus accidentally struck him on the head with his javelin (or discus), fulfilling the prophecy. More on Danaë
Jean Baptiste Regnault (Paris 1754-1829)
SaphoOil on canvas
Height: 42 cm (16.5 in); Width: 53 cm (20.8 in)
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm
Sappho was an ancient Greek poet from the island of Lesbos, known amongst other things for her love poems dedicated to other women—hence the expression “lesbian love.” Naked figures are abundant in Neoclassical art, depicted with an emphasis on the contours of the body and the profile of the face that often has an erotic undertone. Sappho resembles pictures by Anne-Louis Girodet, and when Nationalmuseum bought the painting in 1919, experts believed Girodet was the artist. Now it is thought a lesser-known painter is the artist, possibly a foreigner educated in Paris around 1800. More on this painting
Besides various small pictures and allegorical subjects, Regnault was also the author of many large historical paintings; and his school, which reckoned amongst its chief attendants Guérin, Crepin, Lafitte, Blondel, Robert Lefèvre, Henriette Lorimier and Alexandre Menjaud, was for a long while the rival in influence of that of David.
Jean-Baptiste Regnault (1754–1829)
The Judgement of Paris, c. 1820
Oil on canvas
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
The judgment of Paris was a contest between the three most beautiful goddesses of Olympos--Aphrodite, Hera and Athena--for the prize of a golden apple addressed "To the Fairest."
The story began with the wedding of Peleus and Thetis which all the gods had been invited to attend except for Eris, goddess of discord. When Eris appeared at the festivities she was turned away and in her anger cast the golden apple amongst the assembled goddesses addressed "To the Fairest." Three goddesses laid claim to the apple--Aphrodite, Hera and Athena. Zeus was asked to mediate and he commanded Hermes to lead the three goddesses to Paris of Troy to decide the issue. The three goddesses appearing before the shepherd prince, each offering him gifts for favour. He chose Aphrodite, swayed by her promise to bestow upon him Helene, the most beautiful woman, for wife. The subsequent abduction of Helene led directly to the Trojan War and the fall of the city. More on The judgment of Paris
REGNAULT, Jean-Baptiste
The Toilet of Venus
Oil on panel
33 x 27 cm
Private collection
Baron Jean Baptiste Regnault
Io and Jupiter
Black chalk, stump (Black Stone, fades)
32 x 24cm
Private collection
Regnault Jean-Baptiste, Baron (1754-1829)
Jupiter and Io, c. 1827
Oil on canvas
Height: 2.14 m Width: 1.58 m
Museum of Fine Arts
The scene of Jupiter and Io is inspired by Ovid's classic Metamorphoses. Io, daughter of Inachus, the first king of Argos, is seduced by Jupiter (Zeus in Greek), who hides behind the dunes to avoid hurting the jealous Juno (Hera in Greek). Jupiter was often tempted by other women and took on various disguises in order to cover his various escapades, one time taking the form of a swan, another time of an eagle, and in this painting he is not becoming something else so much as enveloping himself in a dark cloud, even though it is bright daylight. He is embracing the nymph, his face barely visible above hers. She is pulling Jupiter's vague, smoky head towards herself with barely contained sensuality; this is a sensual painting, depicting one of the many loves of the god. More on this painting
Noteworthy is the contrast between the evanescent figure of the immaterial Jupiter, and the sensual substance of Io's body, shown lost in an erotic rapture which anticipates the works of Bernini and Rubens.
Besides Merry-Joseph Blondel, Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, Robert Lefèvre, and Henriette Lorimier, Jean-Baptiste Regnault's students include: Godefroy Engelmann, Louis Hersent, Charles Paul Landon, Hippolyte Lecomte, Jacques Réattu, Jean-Hilaire Belloc.
Jean-Baptiste Regnault was married first to Sophie Meyer, then Sophie Félicité Beaucourt.
He died in Paris. He is buried in Père-Lachaise Cemetery. More on Jean-Baptiste Regnault
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