Antoine Watteau monument by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux in Valencienne

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux was a French sculptor born in Valenciennes. Watteau is another famous French artist born in the same town. 

The Watteau monument is located in Valenciennes, square Saint-Géry (Nord - France). Many preparatory works are in the Fine Arts Museum in Valenciennes, where I took many pictures.

In 1860, Carpeaux sent a letter to the mayor of Valencienne offering to contribute the monument at cost. In July of the same year, Carpeaux presented a study of the project. Carpeaux worked on a new version of the monument in 1867.

In 1868, the artist decided that he would carve the statue of Watteau in marble and use stone for the four secondary figures.

By 1870, he has completed a full scale model of the main statue. But the cost estimate in 1874 for the monument is 27 000 French Francs. Carpeaux died on 12 October 1875, before the monument was started.

In 1879, it is decided to cast the main figure of Watteau in Bronze, based on Carpeaux’s full size model. The French State pays for the material. Another sculptor, Hiolle, is commissioned to create the four secondary figures and Emile Dusart was the architect on the project.

In 1881, the French government accepted to contribute to two third of the cost.

The monument was inaugurated on 12 October 1884, anniversary of Carpeaux’s death.

Related resources

• Source for the historical details: e-Monumen 
• Valenciennes Fine Art Museum:  Musée des Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes
  Boulevard Watteau - 59300 Valenciennes.

3 Art books to check on Gutenberg Project

I referred in the past to art books published for free on Gutenberg Project. Here come 3 more for you to consider:

Wood Engraving by R. John Beedham

Wood-Block Printing by F. Morley Fletcher

A History of Caricature and Grotesque by Thomas Wright

Cezanne at the MoMA in New-York

Pine and Rocks (Fontainebleau?) c. 1897 – Oil on canvas by Paul Cézanne

This is a focussed view, different from the large open landscapes like the views of the Mount Sainte Victoire that Cézanne painted in the South of France. The reason of the location “Fontainebleau” with a question mark in the title is that, even if we can’t be sure, the pine trees and large boulders are characteristic of this sandy forest near Paris. It was also a favourite spot for pre-Impressionists and Impressionists painter to paint.

Turning Road at Mongueroult, 1898 – Oil on canvas by Paul Cézanne

This is a plein-air painting (i.e. done on location). The palette of Ochre and and dark greens, and the blue outline are characteristic of Cézanne. This is the last painting Cézanne did on the village of Mongueroult before he returned to his hometown Aix-en-Provence (South of France), where he stayed until his death.

The Bather, c.1885 – Oil on canvas by Paul Cézanne

I don’t really like this painting. I am not sure why. I find the figure little stiff and the slight bird view shorten the legs (which reinforce the illusion that the man is short and bulky). Of course, this is just my personal opinion and you are free to disagree.

Still life with apples (1895-98) – Oil painting by Paul Cézanne

I kept the best (at least to me) for last. Cézanne explored stil life painting throughout his life. They were his laboratory when he could experiment. Apples are a feature of Cézanne’s paintings. I read someone that he was taking so much time than flowers would fade and dye long before the artist had finished his still life paintings. He resorted to artificial flowers, but even these faded… No such issue with apple that keep for weeks on.

This unfinished painting offers us clues into Cezanne’s working methods, The painted initial ouline is still visible in places and we can see how he approached the subject as a whole and painted touches of the same colour in different places to create unity.

Details for the museum

The Museum of Modern Art

11 West 53 Street

New York, NY 10019-5497

MoMA Website http://www.moma.org