Lot Essay
This ambitious painting relates to the composition which won Thomas Couture a second place in the competition for the Prix de Rome in 1837. The award of second place however, was not without controversy. First place was awarded to the painter Murat and there were those who felt the judgement was unjust. The critic Albert Boime advanced the theory that Murat was honored because he had persevered through many years of competitions without winning and was soon to be too old for eligibility. Delécluze too found special merit in Couture's work, writing in Le Journal des Débats (loc. cit),: "Le tableau de M. Couture est digne d'une mention toute particulière. La tête de son Noé, tenant sa femme, vers la gauche de la composition, forme aussi un groupe fort bon. En somme, cet ouvrage est le seul òu il y ait une idée qui vivifie tous les détails: on y voit briller cette joie douce, ce contentement intérieure et reconnaissant que l'on éprouve quand, à un grand danger et à un long orage, succède le calme des sens et de l'âme." Commenting on the competition itself he continued, that any young artist, exhibiting for the first time would be happy if their painting was as good as that of M. Couture. The dialogue surrounding the work however, was not always consistent as there were negative critics such as the one who disagreed with Couture's placement of God in Journal des Artistes (loc.cit) and another who disagreed with the moment depicted by Couture in L'Artiste (loc.cit).
In the present work, the traditional theme coupled with the bold brushstrokes and palette of the present work is consistent with Couture's best known works. Couture often made refernces to old master paintings while creating purely contemporary works, rooted in the Romanticism and Classicism of the day.
Thomas Couture was a student of Baron Gros and of Paul Delaroche. He exhibited reguarly at the Salon, winning a third-class medal in 1844 and a first class medal in 1848. Couture also became a chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1848 and received a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855.
In the present work, the traditional theme coupled with the bold brushstrokes and palette of the present work is consistent with Couture's best known works. Couture often made refernces to old master paintings while creating purely contemporary works, rooted in the Romanticism and Classicism of the day.
Thomas Couture was a student of Baron Gros and of Paul Delaroche. He exhibited reguarly at the Salon, winning a third-class medal in 1844 and a first class medal in 1848. Couture also became a chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur in 1848 and received a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855.