Georges de la Tour (1593-1652) was
born on March 14, 1593, in Vic-sur-Seille, twenty miles from Nancy, the ducal
capital of Lorraine in northeastern France. Unfortunately, the early
life, training, travels, and artistic career of Georges de la Tour is not
known before the age of twenty-four (therefore encompassing the time between
1593 and 1617). In 1617, Georges married Diane le Nerf, and the first
of their ten children was born in 1619. In his marriage contract,
Georges documented himself as a "paintre," and thus was established for
the first time in the art world. He moved to Lunéville, fifteen
miles south of Vic-sur-Seille, in 1620, where he would live and work for
the remainder of his life. According to testimony by his contemporaries,
Georges de la Tour was thought to be "a basically unpleasant person - haughty,
sharp-tongued, self-assured, unbearably self-sufficient, stingy, and violent
beyond measure" (World Art Treasures).
Despite these personality traits, Georges would become an extremely
successful master painter during his lifetime; he was, however, mostly forgotten
following his death. The rediscovery of Georges de la Tour and his
works was greatly due to the German art historian Hermann Voss, Director
of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin, beginning in 1915.
The style of Georges de la Tour is
incredibly unique in its depiction of common subject matter as well as in
the design and composition of the works themselves. De la Tour devoted
himself mainly to the representation of genre and religious subjects, both
in day scenes as well as noctural ones. On the whole, the paintings
are generally small, and thus it can be assumed that he was patronised by
mostly private clients from the bourgeosie or for small religious houses.
De la Tour is considered to be a follower of Caravaggio due to his dependency on specific elements of the Caravaggesque style (most notably the use of chiaroscuro and tenebristic techniques). In his interpretation of those certain stylistic qualties, however, Georges was unique in his design and composition, and presented an entirely new way of looking at common realistic works of art. "Georges de la Tour is classed as a realist. Realist he is in that his subjects, predominantly if not exclusively religious, are represented in terms of "real" life, often the life of his own country-town and surroundings in Lorraine. But he avoided naturalism; rather, he chose to simplify, modelling his forms by marked contrasts of light and shade, and using large volumes and severe lines, with great selective economy of detail" (Furness 70).
In addition, de la Tour's attention to mood is a predominant quality that pervades his works. The paintings, especially the night scenes, have an almost meditative or pensive quality about them. Though the subject matter may, at times, be rather ambiguous, the spirituality communicated through the mood diminishes the importance of decifering what scene we're looking at. Rather, the focus is on the way the painting makes us, as the viewer, feel through simple observation. A visual element that helps the viewer to focus on the scene before them is achieved through the absence of a background in the scenes. "La Tour’s sparsely populated pictures almost always represent scenes that take place nowhere, if they are judged by the almost complete absence of scenery. The boundaries of the settings are, nevertheless, delineated. There appear to be walls, but they have no texture and the colour is not descriptive" (Grove Art).
Georges de la Tour's works can be distinguished most especially through the unique use of lighting in his nocturnal scenes. The paintings are lit with a candle, a nightlight, or a torch, which are sometimes visible or are, at other times, hidden behind a figure's hand or another object. As for his less numerous and less popular daylight scenes, the figures are rendered with an acute eye to detail and a simplicity within the scene that is not found in the works of any other artist at the time.
In examining various examples his oeuvre, both daylight and nocturnal scences, it is quite easy to see the elements of his style come to fruition. It is also the best way to understand the unique qualities of his artistic genius as they presented themselves in scenes of very different subject matter from varying years of his career (here arranged chronologically).
De la Tour is considered to be a follower of Caravaggio due to his dependency on specific elements of the Caravaggesque style (most notably the use of chiaroscuro and tenebristic techniques). In his interpretation of those certain stylistic qualties, however, Georges was unique in his design and composition, and presented an entirely new way of looking at common realistic works of art. "Georges de la Tour is classed as a realist. Realist he is in that his subjects, predominantly if not exclusively religious, are represented in terms of "real" life, often the life of his own country-town and surroundings in Lorraine. But he avoided naturalism; rather, he chose to simplify, modelling his forms by marked contrasts of light and shade, and using large volumes and severe lines, with great selective economy of detail" (Furness 70).
In addition, de la Tour's attention to mood is a predominant quality that pervades his works. The paintings, especially the night scenes, have an almost meditative or pensive quality about them. Though the subject matter may, at times, be rather ambiguous, the spirituality communicated through the mood diminishes the importance of decifering what scene we're looking at. Rather, the focus is on the way the painting makes us, as the viewer, feel through simple observation. A visual element that helps the viewer to focus on the scene before them is achieved through the absence of a background in the scenes. "La Tour’s sparsely populated pictures almost always represent scenes that take place nowhere, if they are judged by the almost complete absence of scenery. The boundaries of the settings are, nevertheless, delineated. There appear to be walls, but they have no texture and the colour is not descriptive" (Grove Art).
Georges de la Tour's works can be distinguished most especially through the unique use of lighting in his nocturnal scenes. The paintings are lit with a candle, a nightlight, or a torch, which are sometimes visible or are, at other times, hidden behind a figure's hand or another object. As for his less numerous and less popular daylight scenes, the figures are rendered with an acute eye to detail and a simplicity within the scene that is not found in the works of any other artist at the time.
In examining various examples his oeuvre, both daylight and nocturnal scences, it is quite easy to see the elements of his style come to fruition. It is also the best way to understand the unique qualities of his artistic genius as they presented themselves in scenes of very different subject matter from varying years of his career (here arranged chronologically).
The Hurdy-Gurdy Player. 1631-1636. Oil on canvas. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nantes.
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
One of Georges de la Tour's most common
subjects was that of the hurdy-gurdy player. According to dictionary.com, a hurdy-gurdy is "a
medieval stringed instrument played by turning a rosined wheel with a crank
and depressing keys connected to tangents on the strings." Of the four
nearly life-size and full-length hurdy-gurdy players that de la Tour depicted,
the version currently in Nantes is generally considered to be the masterpiece.
The work presents many interesting ideas common to the genre. The
first question one may ask is whether a work of such a low-life subject was
meant to invoke sympathy in the viewer. This is, in fact, not the case
at all. "The brutal realism, unflattering presentation of the miserable
subjects does not at all mean a sympathetic attitude to the socially disadvantaged
of the day, on the contrary, issues of this kind were intended to amuse high
society, who enjoyed decorating the walls of their patrician homes with such
melodramatic scenes" (Olga's
Gallery). In addition, the realistic depiction of the figure and
the scene itself is almost too overwhelming in its power and message. "The
artist must have prided himself on the forceful sense of actuality he conveyed.
There is little doubt that the spectator is meant to respond to the
manifest presence of this figure: who can help but notice that his shoelace
needs to be tied? The pegs on the hurdy-gurdy - with their skillful
foreshortening, cast shadows, and glistening highlights - beg to be turned"
(Conisbee 59-60).
The Card-Sharp with the Ace of Clubs. c. 1620-1640. Oil on canvas. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.
Image Source: Olga's Gallery
The Card-Sharp with the Ace of Clubs. Detail. c. 1620-1640. Oil on canvas. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas.
Image Source: Olga's Gallery
In The Card-Sharp with the Ace
of Clubs, de la Tour has chosen to depict a secular and moralizing scene
from modern life. According to Olga's Gallery, "An inexperienced,
wealthy and opulently dressed young man is being cheated at cards in the dubious
company of a courtesan with her lover and a servant girl. Wine and
the promise of erotic adventure have made the young dandy so light-headed
that he does not notice the unsubtle trick of an ace being drawn from his
opponent's belt." Georges also painted The Card-Sharp with the Ace
of Diamonds (c. 1636-1638), which is more somber and painstakingly executed
than the Ace of Clubs. Along with his Fortune-Teller of
c. 1630-1634, de la Tour presented three major works that were almost identical
in subject matter with works produced by Caravaggio. Here, however,
the palette is lighter and more colorful, and he has taken a common theme
and reinterpreted it through his own unique vision and style. Indeed,
it is easy to appreciate " . . . his artistry, and above all his ability
to tell a story well, with wit and convincing psychological insight.
La Tour's fortune-tellers, courtesans, gypsies, and cardsharps set about duping
and fleecing their victims with all the sharp-witted precision of glance
and gesture" (Feigenbaum 168).
The Penitent Magdalene. 1638-1643. Oil on canvas, 133,4 x 102,2 cm. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
The Penitent Magdalene. Detail. 1638-1643. Oil on canvas, 133,4 x 102,2 cm. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Image Source: Olga's Gallery
The fourth and last painting of a full-length Magdalene is found in The Penitent Magdalene of 1638-1643. This work depicts the moments just before her conversion, having just cast aside her jewels, though she still wears the luxurious clothes of her former life. In her lap, she holds a skull, a common symbol of mortality. "Only the skull on the Magdalene's lap suggests that she may be pondering the earthly reality of our mortality and the eternal truth of the spiritual life, while deciding to abandon the blandishments of the material world" (Conisbee 112). It is the light of the candle that catches the viewer's attention here, however. In this image, we are able to see both sides of the candle, and the far side best due to the illumination provided by the flame. There is no background here, and the viewer is thus confronted by the action of the image up front. The flame of the candle provides a soft and almost mysterious air to the work, and thus increases the pensive and relaxed atmosophere of the subject matter. We are calmed by looking at the flame, much as the Magdalene must have been during the process of her conversion.
The Newborn. c. 1645. Oil on canvas. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Rennes.
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
|
|
Image Sources: Web Gallery of Art and Olga's Gallery
Georges de la Tour's tendency towards
ambiguity in his works can be best seen in The Newborn of c. 1645.
Thought by many to be the finest example of his style and abilities, the work
is indeed a tour de force. "The Newborn, which consists of two
half-length female figures with a swaddled child illuminated by a candle
hidden behind one of the women’s hands, is apparently a scene of human maternity,
lacking any of the attributes of the Christian story; but the solemn atmosphere
and the serene, contemplative faces of the two women, admiring and respectful
of the child, spiritualize the scene and transform it into one of divine
maternity" (Grove Art). It is
unknown whether the painting is a depiction of a typical familial genre scene
or if it represents St. Anne, the Virgin, and the Christ Child. Unlike
his other religious scenes, Georges does not provide the viewer with any
iconographic clues that would designate the painting as a religious one.
The figures simply exist in a Caravaggesque blackened background, and are
softly illuminated by the glowing candle. The peacefulness and serenity
that the composition exudes is almost overwhelming in its power. With
this in mind, the subject matter thus becomes irrelevant and the mood that
the work imparts is what remains imprinted in the viewer's mind. As
an interesting side note, here Georges employed an almost pointilistic technique,
composing the mother's dress as well as the dress of the woman on the left
with minute dots of color in various hues. "The whole surface is thus
the product of an intensely concentrated effort, and a large amount of detail
is concealed in the stark simplicity of the forms" (Web Gallery of Art).
Christ in the Carpenter's Shop. 1645. Oil on canvas, 137 x 101 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
|
|
|
Image Sources: Christus Rex and Web Gallery of Art
The Christ in the Carpenter's Shop
of 1645 is, by far, one of de la Tour's most famous nocturnal scenes. The
painting serves as the masculine counterpart to The Education of the Virgin
of c. 1650. "The attention to mood is shown in the minute observation
of the effects of light in certain areas, especially that of the translucency
of the child's hand silhouetted against the candle, revealing even the dirt
in the fingernails" (Web
Gallery of Art). Much like The Newborn above, this scene
could possibly be interpreted as a simple genre scene, as there is a lack
of iconographical symbols to designate it as a strictly religious image.
In following his typical stylistic attributes, there is no background
in the scene, and the only illumination comes from the candle in the young
boy's right hand, which he shields with his left. The realism in the
image is quite striking. "De la Tour has portrayed with faithful realism
the workman bent over his work; by the position of the hands on the tool
he has suggested the push and pull that will move it; he has noted how the
stooping position affects the contours of the face" (Furness 110). The
mood is soft and tender, a feeling that is mimicked in the expressions and
faces of the figures as they interact. The instruction of his son in
the trade of carpentry conveys a sweet and caring image of the role of the
father, as well as stressing the importance of his role as such.
St. Sebastian Attended by St. Irene. c. 1649. Oil on canvas, 167 x 130 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris.
Image Source: Web Gallery of Art
As with the Card-Sharp
paintings, de la Tour composed two almost-identical versions of St. Sebastian
Attended by St. Irene. The first, of c. 1649, is in the Louvre in
Paris and the other, dating between 1634-1643, is currently in the Staatliche
Museen in Berlin. The works depict an interesting story. St. Sebastian,
an officer in Rome around 283 CE, was named Commander of the Praetorian Guard
by Emperor Diocletian, who was unaware of his conversion to Christianity.
Sebastian, in refusing to conceal his faith, was arrested and thus sentenced
to death by being shot with arrows. After the martyrdom, Irene took
the still breathing Sebastian to a safe place, treated his wounds, and eventually
cured him. In addition to its dramatic subject matter, the work encompasses
two unique stylistic qualities of de la Tour's that serve the heighten the
feeling and the power of the painting. Most striking is his use of Caravaggesque
chiaroscuro lighting, which is focused around the torch that Irene holds
to the left of the painting. Secondly is his tendency in later works
to use a very geometric-based composition. For example, "a diagonal
runs from the head of the recumbent Sebastian through the kneeling figure
of Irene and her standing attendants. The martyr’s body makes an acute angle
with this diagonal, both lines being set against the verticals of a tree
and of the standing figures with their emphatically straight drapery folds:
the effect is reminiscent of Cubism" (Grove
Art).
During his lifetime, the works of Georges de la Tour were owned by King Louis XIII of France, Cardinal Richelieu, and Duke Henri II of Lorraine. To be sure, his reputation and talent went without either question or a stylistic competitor throughout his artistic career. The decline of his popularity following his death was due mainly to the simultaneous fading of the Caravaggesque style. In the subsequent rediscovery and reconstruction of his oeuvre in our own time, people have once again come to appreciate and acknowledge the work of this unique and fascinating artist. His incredible use of realism as well as his preoccupation with the use of light will continue to touch viewers for many more years to come.
Bibliography
Berger, Jacques-Edouard. "Georges de la Tour." World
Art Treasures. 15 March 2003 <http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/>.
Conisbee, Philip. "An Introduction to the Life and Art of Georges de la Tour." Georges de la Tour and His World. Ed. Philip Conisbee. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.
Feigenbaum, Gail. "Gamblers, Cheats, and Fortune-Tellers." Georges de la Tour and His World. Ed. Philip Conisbee. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.
Furness, S.M.M. Georges de la Tour of Lorraine: 1593-1652. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1949.
"Georges de la Tour." Christus Rex. 15 March 2003 <http://www.christusrex.org/>.
"Georges de la Tour." The Grove Dictionary of Art Online. 15 March 2003 <http://www.groveart.com>.
"Georges de la Tour." Olga's Gallery. 15 March 2003 <http://www.abcgallery.com/index.html>.
"Hurdy-Gurdy." Dictionary.Com. 15 March 2003 <http://www.dictionary.com>.
Kren, Emil and Daniel Marx. "Georges de la Tour." Web Gallery of Art. 15 March 2003 <http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/welcome.html>.
Misty Amanda Vandergriff
Conisbee, Philip. "An Introduction to the Life and Art of Georges de la Tour." Georges de la Tour and His World. Ed. Philip Conisbee. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.
Feigenbaum, Gail. "Gamblers, Cheats, and Fortune-Tellers." Georges de la Tour and His World. Ed. Philip Conisbee. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1996.
Furness, S.M.M. Georges de la Tour of Lorraine: 1593-1652. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1949.
"Georges de la Tour." Christus Rex. 15 March 2003 <http://www.christusrex.org/>.
"Georges de la Tour." The Grove Dictionary of Art Online. 15 March 2003 <http://www.groveart.com>.
"Georges de la Tour." Olga's Gallery. 15 March 2003 <http://www.abcgallery.com/index.html>.
"Hurdy-Gurdy." Dictionary.Com. 15 March 2003 <http://www.dictionary.com>.
Kren, Emil and Daniel Marx. "Georges de la Tour." Web Gallery of Art. 15 March 2003 <http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/welcome.html>.
Misty Amanda Vandergriff
ARTH244.1 - Art and Theory in Baroque Europe
March 15, 2003
March 15, 2003