Page 11 - Jacques Blanchard - Myth and Allegory
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there are few extant works now remaining studio in Paris during the second quarter of
for us to fully appreciate in context. In the the 17 th Century. And it was Vouet, with his
second circle, we have Peter Paul Rubens’s ambition and keen understanding of the
Medici cycle. This great series of thirty-six aristocracy’s renewed demand for the most
canvases in the Luxembourg palace had a refined decorative schemes and projects who
polarising effect on painters working in Paris immediately recognised the opportunity
throughout the 17 th century, if only because inherent in importing an essentially Italian
Rubens’s mastery and exuberance either approach to painting. Moreover, there is
acted as a reproach to those painters who every indication that he also had a shrewd
could not match it, or as an inspiration to understanding of deploying the Italian within
those who preferred Rubens as a role model French art. While Vouet’s Roman paintings
above the cooler rationale of Poussin. But are obviously influenced by Caravaggio, he
even assuming a clear Venn-diagrammatic abandons his tenebrist style when he returns
overlap of these two circles of influence, it is to Paris, possibly understanding that situated
not always easy to appreciate exactly what in French interiors, illuminated by French
sort of artistic tradition awaited Blanchard light, and interpreted by Frenchmen, his
when he returned to Paris in 1629, and Caravaggist style might not enjoy the same
consequently, how and why his influence, admiration it had in Rome. Moreover, it
along with that of Vouet (who had returned could be argued that Vouet was quite
to establish his Parisian studio two years perceptive enough to understand that
earlier) was to result in such a sea change in while Caravaggio’s paintings actually were
French painting during the following appreciated and valued in French collections
decade. at this time, this possibly had less to do with
an appreciation of his style and more to do
The fact is, that to understand Blanchard’s with their intrinsic value as Caravaggios.
context in French baroque art, we must look
first to this period’s dominant figure in Instead,Vouet borrowed more from Bologna
Paris: Simon Vouet. Whether it could be and in particular from the styles of Guido
argued that this dominance was in any way Reni and Giovanni Lanfranco, in developing
dependent on Blanchard’s untimely death of his grande mode of decorative painting. To the
‘une fluxion de poitrine’ 3 at the age of thirty- French court, Vouet’s resulting balance of
seven is debatable. It was Vouet, who ornament and gravitas was not only attractive
established possibly the most influential and deeply flattering to their sensibilities; it
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