Friday 15 November 2013

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo, Professor d'Ecole des Beaux-Art

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo (Rivoli, Italy, 25th August 1719 – Paris, France, 15th November 1795)


Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, 1785
Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture by Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, 1785

We've had an artistic time of late and today return to the canvas to meet a man who was artistic royalty, coming from a long line of illustrious, successful painters. Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo became known as a painter of portraits and allegories and enjoyed a celebrated career.

Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo was born to the painter Jean-Baptiste van Loo and his wife, Marguerite Le Brun. With three generations of artistic blood running in his veins, the young van Loo showed an early aptitude for art and under the tutelage of his father, developed his skills and talent at a startling rate. He focussed on the basics of illustration and anatomy during his early years in Turin before moving on to Rome and more ambitious pieces, developing a particular interest in allegorical works.


The Camera Obscura by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo, 1764
The Camera Obscura, 1764

When he reached the age of 19, van Loo's efforts were rewarded with the prestigious Prix de Rome. Following this victory he spent some time travelling Italy and eventually arrived in France, joining the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in 1747. That same year he married Marie-Marguerite Lebrun, the happiness of his personal life mirrored by professional success.


Luise Henriette Wilhelmine von Anhalt-Dessau by Charles-Amédée-Philippe van Loo
Luise Henriette Wilhelmine von Anhalt-Dessaui

Van Loo enjoyed the patronage of illustrious European figures and in 1770 he was appointed Professor at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, a role he held until his death. His works exist in the grandest houses and galleries of Europe, offering a rich window into the world he knew and the people who partonised him.

Life in the Georgian Court, true tales of 18th century royalty, is available at the links below.


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