Ary Scheffer

{"Id":482,"Name":"Ary Scheffer","Biography":"SCHEFFER, ARY (1795\u0026mdash;1858), French painter of Dutch extraction, was born at Dort on the 10th of February 1795. After the early death of his father, a poor painter, Ary was taken to Paris and placed in the studio of \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/guerin_pierre-narcisse.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EGu\u0026eacute;rin\u003C/a\u003E by his mother, a woman of great energy and character. The moment at which Scheffer left Gu\u0026eacute;rin coincided with the commencement of the Romantic movement. He had little sympathy with the directions given to it by either of its most conspicuous representatives, \u003Ca href=\u0022http://www.artnet.com/library/07/0786/T078629.asp\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003ESigalon\u003C/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=48\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EDelacroix\u003C/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\u0022/asp/database/art.asp?aid=199\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 class=\u0022link\u0022\u003EG\u0026eacute;ricault\u003C/a\u003E, and made various tentative efforts \u0026mdash; \u003Cu\u003EGaston de Foix\u003C/u\u003E (1824), \u003Cu\u003ESuliot Women\u003C/u\u003E (1827) \u0026mdash; before he found his own path. Immediately after the exhibition of the last-named work he turned to Byron and Goethe, selecting from Faust a long series of subjects which had an extraordinary vogue. Of these, we may mention \u003Cu\u003EMargaret at her Wheel\u003C/u\u003E; \u003Cu\u003EFaust Doubting\u003C/u\u003E; \u003Cu\u003EMargaret at the Sabbat\u003C/u\u003E; \u003Cu\u003EMargaret Leaving Church\u003C/u\u003E; the \u003Cu\u003EGarden Walk\u003C/u\u003E; and lastly, perhaps the most popular of all, \u003Cu\u003EMargaret at the Well\u003C/u\u003E. The two \u003Cu\u003EMigrions\u003C/u\u003E appeared in 1836; and \u003Cu\u003EFrancesca da Rimini\u003C/u\u003E, which is on the whole Scheffer\u0026rsquo;s best work, belongs to the same period. He now turned to religious subjects: \u003Cu\u003EChristus Consolator\u003C/u\u003E (1836) was followed by \u003Cu\u003EChristus Remunerator\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EThe Shepherds Led by the Star\u003C/u\u003E (1837), \u003Cu\u003EThe Magi Laying Down their Crowns\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EChrist in the Garden of Olives\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EChrist bearing his Cross\u003C/u\u003E, \u003Cu\u003EChrist Interred\u003C/u\u003E (1845), \u003Cu\u003ESt Augustine and Monica\u003C/u\u003E (1846), after which he ceased to exhibit, but, shut up in his studio, continued to produce much which was first seen by the outer world after his death, which took place at Argenteuil on the 15th of June 1858. At the posthumous exhibition of his works there figured the \u003Cu\u003ESorrows of the Earth\u003C/u\u003E, and the \u003Cu\u003EAngel Announcing the Resurrection\u003C/u\u003E, which he had left unfinished. Amongst his numerous portraits those of La Fayette, B\u0026eacute;ranger, Lamartine and Marie Am\u0026eacute;lie were the most noteworthy. His reputation, much shaken by this posthumous exhibition, was further undermined by the sale of the Paturle Gallery, which contained many of his most celebrated achievements; the charm and facility of their composition could not save them from the condemnation provoked by their poor and earthy colour and vapid sentiment. Scheffer, who married the widow of General Baudrand, was only made commander of the Legion of Honour in 1848 \u0026mdash; that is, after he had wholly withdrawn from the Salon. His brother Henri, born at the Hague on the 27th of September 1798, was also a fertile painter.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESee Vitet\u0026rsquo;s notice (1861) prefixed to Bingham\u0026rsquo;s publication of works of \u003Cu\u003EA. Scheffer\u003C/u\u003E; Etex, \u003Cu\u003EAry Scheffer\u003C/u\u003E; Mrs Grote, \u003Cu\u003ELife of A. Scheffer\u003C/u\u003E (1860).\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cu\u003ESource:\u003C/u\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E Entry on the artist in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http://90.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SC/SCHEFFER_ARY.htm\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E1911 Edition Encyclopedia\u003C/a\u003E.\u003Cp\u003E","Awards":null,"HasAlbums":false,"HasPortraits":true,"HasRelationships":true,"HasArticles":false,"HasDepictedPlaces":true,"HasLetters":false,"HasLibraryItems":false,"HasProducts":false,"HasSignatures":false,"HasVideos":true,"HasMapLocations":true,"TotalArtworks":61}