.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The son of the engraver Israël Silvestre (1621-1691), Louis de Silvestre studied under Charles Le Brun and Bon Boulogne and was accepted at the Académie Royale as a history painter in 1702 with his Prometheus fashioning man from clay (see lot 10 for a sketch of this work). In 1714, he was introduced to August II of Saxony, King of Poland (1670-1733), who was visiting Versailles at the time. A great admirer of the French arts, the King invited Silvestre to Dresden as court painter. This he accepted and stayed in the city from 1716 to 1748, during which time he served August II and August III (1696-1763) in a number of roles: portraitist, decorator, and Director of the Dresden Academy of Arts. In gratitude for his service, King August III ennobled him in 1741. Returning to Paris in 1748, Silvestre continued to receive royal commissions, from the Dauphine Marie-Josephe of Saxony, who lived at the French court, and, in 1752, he was appointed Director of the Academy. Although many works by the artist stayed in Dresden and can today be admired at the Gemäldegalerie, most of the décors he created for the Royal Palace and Zwinger were destroyed during World War II.
Commissioned in 1757 by the Marquis de Marigny, Louis XV's Directeur des Bâtiments du Roi, the present work was probably the last important commission of the artist's career. The subject is an allegory of the Reign of Peace and symbolizes the experiences of Saxony and France. As guardian of doorways, the Roman God Janus (symbolized here with a double-faced medallion) was always represented with two faces so that he could look both ways and thereby monitor both arrivals and departures. Janus' temple was open during war and closed during times of peace; thus, the closing of his temple by the Roman emperor Augustus is a sign of happier times to come.
The painting is described in great detail in the Salon livret; 'Victory crowns Augustus as a reward for his acts, as Apollo, sitting on a cloud, holds a lyre and offers Peace to Augustus. Peace wears a crown of olive leaves and holds a cornucopia, symbol of the virtues she brings. She is followed by the Muses who are protected by the King. Mars, on a cloud to the left, departs angry at the sight of a group of cupids who, in the foreground, burn a pile of arms of all sorts. The Allegory of Architecture holds the plan for the Theater of Marcellus, built under the reign of Augustus. The background of the painting is decorated with the principal buildings of Ancient Rome.'
A sketch for the present picture is recorded in the deceased artist's inventory (no. 3) (A. Weigert, op. cit. p. 390).
Commissioned in 1757 by the Marquis de Marigny, Louis XV's Directeur des Bâtiments du Roi, the present work was probably the last important commission of the artist's career. The subject is an allegory of the Reign of Peace and symbolizes the experiences of Saxony and France. As guardian of doorways, the Roman God Janus (symbolized here with a double-faced medallion) was always represented with two faces so that he could look both ways and thereby monitor both arrivals and departures. Janus' temple was open during war and closed during times of peace; thus, the closing of his temple by the Roman emperor Augustus is a sign of happier times to come.
The painting is described in great detail in the Salon livret; 'Victory crowns Augustus as a reward for his acts, as Apollo, sitting on a cloud, holds a lyre and offers Peace to Augustus. Peace wears a crown of olive leaves and holds a cornucopia, symbol of the virtues she brings. She is followed by the Muses who are protected by the King. Mars, on a cloud to the left, departs angry at the sight of a group of cupids who, in the foreground, burn a pile of arms of all sorts. The Allegory of Architecture holds the plan for the Theater of Marcellus, built under the reign of Augustus. The background of the painting is decorated with the principal buildings of Ancient Rome.'
A sketch for the present picture is recorded in the deceased artist's inventory (no. 3) (A. Weigert, op. cit. p. 390).