Philippe de Champaigne
dal 24/4/2007 al 14/8/2007
Segnalato da
24/4/2007
Philippe de Champaigne
Palais des Beaux-Arts Museum, Lille
Highly esteemed in France where he is considered to be perhaps the greatest portrait painter of the 17th century, Philippe de Champaigne is not so well known elsewhere. The title of the exhibition - Politics and Spirituality - reflects the fact that throughout his life he painted for important royal and political patrons as well as for churches, other religious institutions and for private devotion.
Politics and spirituality
The first major retrospective for over fifty years of work by the celebrated
17th century Flemish-born French painter Philippe de Champaigne is being
staged by the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille, from Friday 27 April to
Wednesday 15 August 2007. Some 75 masterpieces have been loaned from
European and American museums including the Musée du Louvre, Paris, The
National Gallery, London, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, as
well as churches and private collections.
Highly esteemed in France where he is considered to be perhaps the greatest
portrait painter of the 17th century, Philippe de Champaigne is not so well
known elsewhere as his paintings rarely come up for sale. Much of his work
was commissioned for French churches and either stayed in situ or ended up
in museums after the Revolution, while his portraits tend to remain in the
subjects’ families and be passed down from generation to generation. The
title of the exhibition Politics and Spirituality reflects the fact that
throughout his life he painted for important royal and political patrons as
well as for churches, other religious institutions and for private devotion.
He found himself in a most powerful position between these two spheres of
influence: Marie de’ Medici and the Carmelite order, between Anne of
Austria and the Carthusian monks, Cardinal Richelieu and Cistercian
asceticism as practised in the Port-Royal Abbey.
Philippe de Champaigne: Politics and Spirituality offers a rare opportunity
to appreciate the work of one of France’s most influential painters. Easily
accessible from London by Eurostar, Lille and the Palais des Beaux-Arts,
France’s second most important museum, is an alluring destination for all
lovers of France and its art.
Press View: Wednesday 25 April 2007
Palais des Beaux-Arts
Place de la République - Lille