(c) Oger et Camper
Les gouaches napolitaines nous replongent au coeur des habitudes touristiques anglaises et françaises du XIXème s. L'Italie est alors une destination de choix pour l'aristocratie et la grande bourgeoisie. Avec les redécouvertes de Pompéi en 1763 et Herculanum en 1738, le Vésuve a exercé sur les touristes du XIXème s une grande fascination.
Neapolitan gouaches us back to the heart of the travel habits of British and French of the XIX c. Italy is, at this time, a chosen destination for the aristocracy and the Bourgeoisie. With the rediscovery of Pompeii in 1763 and Herculaneum in 1738, Vesuvius had on tourists' a great fascination.
Neapolitan gouaches us back to the heart of the travel habits of British and French of the XIX c. Italy is, at this time, a chosen destination for the aristocracy and the Bourgeoisie. With the rediscovery of Pompeii in 1763 and Herculaneum in 1738, Vesuvius had on tourists' a great fascination.
Qu'est ce que le Grand Tour ?
What is the Grand Tour ?
A l'origine du terme "touriste", il existe une pratique qui naît, en Europe du Nord, au XVIIème s et trouve son apogée aux XVIIIème et XIXème s, il s'agit du Grand Tour, appelé également Tour du Chevalier. Il s'agit, à l'origine, pour les jeunes aristocrates de voyager en Europe afin de se former aux pratiques militaires, diplomatiques et intellectuelles. Les pays les plus visités sont alors la France, l'Allemagne, la Suisse et principalement l'Italie. Viendront par la suite la Grèce et l'Asie Mineure. Au XVIIIème s et surtout au XIXème s, le Grand Tour sera surtout le fait d'amateurs d'art, de collectionneurs ou d'artistes comme Goethe, Turner, Lord Byron, venus redécouvrir le passé artistique de l'Italie afin de mieux nourrir leur art. Ce voyage pouvait durer de quelques mois à un an.
At The origin of the word "tourist", there is a practice born in Northern Europe in the seventeenth c. and s, at its peak, in the eighteenth and nineteenth s, which is named the Grand Tour, also known as Knight's Tour. It is originally for young aristocrats to be formed to military, diplomatic and intellectual practices in foreign countries such as France, Germany, Switzerland and especially Italy. Then, countries like Greece and Minor Asia will part of this Grand Tour. In the eighteenth and in the nineteenth century especially, the Grand Tour will especially be made by art lovers, collectors and artists such as Goethe, Turner, Lord Byron, came to rediscover the artistic past of Italy to better feed their art. This journey may last several month or a year.
Le Grand Tour est l'apanage de l'aristocratie, il permet de faire étalage de ses moyens financiers, de sa culture et de réseau social étendu au-delà même des frontières de sa patrie. Il permettait également de se forger une culture commune : on pouvait alors échanger entre gens bien nés des histoires et des anecdotes sur des lieux touristiques que tous avaient visités. Cette mode est tout d'abord née en Angleterre, puis s'étendra à la France et l'Allemagne.
The Grand Tour used to be the prerogative of the aristocracy, it allows to flaunt its financial resources, its culture and social networking spread beyond the borders of his country. It also allowed to forge a common culture: we could then exchange between well-born people stories and anecdotes about the sights they had all visited. This mode is first born in England and then spread to France and Germany.
The Grand Tour used to be the prerogative of the aristocracy, it allows to flaunt its financial resources, its culture and social networking spread beyond the borders of his country. It also allowed to forge a common culture: we could then exchange between well-born people stories and anecdotes about the sights they had all visited. This mode is first born in England and then spread to France and Germany.
En Italie, les étapes nécessaires sont alors Florence, pour y admirer les oeuvres de la Renaissance, Rome, pour son passé antique, et Naples, proche de laquelle ont été redécouverts les sites de Pompéi et Herculanum et qui fascinent les touristes de l'époque.
In Italy, the necessary stops are Florence to admire works of the Renaissance, Rome for its ancient past and Naples, near which were rediscovered sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum and that fascinate tourists of the time .
In Italy, the necessary stops are Florence to admire works of the Renaissance, Rome for its ancient past and Naples, near which were rediscovered sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum and that fascinate tourists of the time .
Tableaux, objets d'art, antiques, copies d'antiques sont alors exportés en grand nombre. On se fait également portraituré par les artistes en vogue comme Pompeo Batoni. Le tableau ci-dessous de Johann Zoffani nous montre l'attrait énorme qu'exerçaient l'Antiquité et l'Italie sur les amateurs d'art du XIXème s, qui commanditaient alors des artistes pour acheter, en Italie ou en Grèce, de véritables antiques ou en faire des copies. Cette oeuvre représente Charles Towneley, dans sa résidence de Park Street, à Londres, au milieu de sa collection. Il ramena d’Italie beaucoup d’antiques et les déposa dans sa demeure de Park Street, avant que ceux-ci soient rachetés par le British Museum en 1783. On peut notamment voir, au premier plan, le Discobole, rajouté a posteriori car découvert en 1790.
Paintings, collectibles, copies of antiques are then massively exported. Travellers were also portrayed by popular artists such as Pompeo Batoni. The painting below from Johann Zoffani shows the huge attraction exercised by ancient Italy and the art on the nineteenth century collectors, who then sponsored artists to buy in Italy or Greece, real antique or to execute copies. This painting shows Charles Towneley in his mansion in Park Street, London, in the middle of his famous collection. He bring from Italy many antiques and placed them at his home in Park Street, before they were bought by the British Museum in 1783. We can especially see in the foreground, the Discus Thrower, added a posteriori as discovered in 1790.
Paintings, collectibles, copies of antiques are then massively exported. Travellers were also portrayed by popular artists such as Pompeo Batoni. The painting below from Johann Zoffani shows the huge attraction exercised by ancient Italy and the art on the nineteenth century collectors, who then sponsored artists to buy in Italy or Greece, real antique or to execute copies. This painting shows Charles Towneley in his mansion in Park Street, London, in the middle of his famous collection. He bring from Italy many antiques and placed them at his home in Park Street, before they were bought by the British Museum in 1783. We can especially see in the foreground, the Discus Thrower, added a posteriori as discovered in 1790.
La mode du Grand Tour, à part une petite résurgence durant la Restauration (1830-48), prendra fin avec la Révolution Française et le Premier Empire, du fait des troubles qui secouent alors le continent et incitent les aristocrates anglais à rester dans leur patrie.
The popularity of the Grand Tour, unless a small resurgence during the Restoration (1830-1848), ended with the French Revolution and the First Empire, because of disturbances that have shaken the continent and encourage English aristocrats to stay in their homeland .
The popularity of the Grand Tour, unless a small resurgence during the Restoration (1830-1848), ended with the French Revolution and the First Empire, because of disturbances that have shaken the continent and encourage English aristocrats to stay in their homeland .
Pour en revenir à nos gouaches napolitaines, il s'agit plutôt de ce que l'on pourrait qualifier de "peinture-souvenir". En effet, avec l'émergence du tourisme en Italie, des peintres se spécialisent dans des vues d'Italie, (vedute) à l'instar de Canaletto, pour ne citer que le plus connu, qu'ils vendent à une clientèle de passage. L'utilisation de l'aquarelle ou de la gouache répond donc à la nécessité d'exécuter des oeuvres plus rapidement et en plus grand nombre, mais permettent d'introduire plus de naturalisme.
To stay focused our Neapolitan gouaches, we might call them "painting-souvenir." Indeed, with the emergence of tourism in Italy, painters specialize themselves in views of Italy (vedute), such lil Canaletto, to only mention the best known of them. They sold their paintings to a foreign clientele. The use of watercolor or gouache therefore responds to the need to paint quicly and in greater numbers, but also allow to introduce more naturalism in their landscape.
To stay focused our Neapolitan gouaches, we might call them "painting-souvenir." Indeed, with the emergence of tourism in Italy, painters specialize themselves in views of Italy (vedute), such lil Canaletto, to only mention the best known of them. They sold their paintings to a foreign clientele. The use of watercolor or gouache therefore responds to the need to paint quicly and in greater numbers, but also allow to introduce more naturalism in their landscape.
De grands peintres comme Achille Etna Michallon prennent l'éruption Vésuve comme sujet, témoignage de la force de la nature et sujet de prédilection pour la peinture du Sublime.
Famous painter, like Achille Etna Michallo, use the eruption of the Vesuvio as a subject to their artworks, showing the strength of nature and one of the favorite subject for Sublime painter.
La gouache est encadrée de noir, elle porte en mention manuscrite du jour et l'année de l'éruption représentée, le plus souvent celles de 1794, 1810 et 1822. On en trouve de deux tailles différentes : environ 40 cm par 30 et destinées à être encadrées, ou bien des plus petites, 10-15 cm par 5-10, destinées à être mises dans des albums. Elles sont d'une facture assez naïve et figurent des vues de jour ou de nuit de l'éruption, mais aussi des vues de Naples et de ses environs.
Gouaches are framed in black, it is handwritten with the day and year of the subject that is represented. Most of the eruptions that are painted dated from 1794, 1810 and 1822. They can be found in two different sizes : approximately 40 cm x 30 for those to be framed or smaller, 10-15 cm by 5-10, to be stored into albums. They are painted with a naive manner and represent views, at day or night, eruptions of the Vesuvio, but also views of Naples and its surroundings.
Gouaches are framed in black, it is handwritten with the day and year of the subject that is represented. Most of the eruptions that are painted dated from 1794, 1810 and 1822. They can be found in two different sizes : approximately 40 cm x 30 for those to be framed or smaller, 10-15 cm by 5-10, to be stored into albums. They are painted with a naive manner and represent views, at day or night, eruptions of the Vesuvio, but also views of Naples and its surroundings.
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