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Pierre Jules JOLLIVET (1794-1871)
Distribution of alms in Ma…
See original version (French)
31
-
Pierre Jules JOLLIVET (1794-1871)
Distribution of alms in Ma…
See original version (French)
Estimate €2,000 - €3,000
Voluntary lot
Description
Pierre Jules JOLLIVET (1794-1871)
Distribution of alms in Madrid, c. 1833
Oil on canvas
56 x 46 cm
signed lower right
Provenance :
Probably Salon of 1833, n°1321, "Distribution d'aumônes à Madrid" ;
Paris, Collection Jean-Nicolas Moyon (1798-1838),
Probably his sale, Paris, 16-20 January 1838, Pierret, n°435, P. 39 of the catalogue, under the title "Aumône à la porte d'un couvent espagnol";
Distribution d'aumônes à Madrid is perhaps one of the finest examples of Pierre Jules Jollivet's Hispanic-inspired paintings.
Pierre-Jules Jollivet initially studied architecture before changing direction in 1822 to enter the École des Beaux-Arts, where he became a pupil of the painters François-Louis Dejuinne (1784-1844) and Antoine-Jean Gros (17711-1835). He left for Spain in 1826 to work on the catalogue of King Ferdinand VII's art collections. There he discovered a culture that left a deep impression on him. Genre scenes inspired by his memories of Madrid, such as our painting, made him famous at a time when Spain was perceived by the Romantics as an exotic Near East. Thanks to his success at the Paris Salons, he came to the attention of King Louis-Philippe and, in the 1830s, received monumental commissions to paint large-scale battle scenes and historical episodes for the historical museum at the Château de Versailles. Jollivet is also known for having invented enamel paint on Volvic lava slabs, which he used in particular for the façade of the church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul.
This beautiful, luminous painting is devoid of any social criticism or tragic dimension, despite its subject.
Jollivet took advantage of this composition to demonstrate his knowledge of classical Iberian painting. The little boy sitting high up on the parapet is a direct reference to the street children painted by Murillo, while the still life of containers in the bottom left is a tribute to the works of Velázquez or Meléndez.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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