Pierre Puvis de Chavannes: 8 works

'Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (1824-1898) was one of the most striking artists of the second half of the 19th century in Europe, known equally in the United States, due to his activities in the fields of composition, forms and monumental painting.'

'This is a reduced version of a much larger picture from Puvis's first public mural project, which comprised four allegories of human states--including War, Work, and Repose--acquired by the French government to decorate the Musée de Napoléon in Amiens, France.'

'This work is a reduced version of an allegorical painting that Puvis executed in 1861 for the monumental staircase of the Musée de Picardie in Amiens, France.'

'The 19th century French painter Puvis de Chavannes was also known as a mural painter. In 1874, he completed the series "The Life of Saint Genevieve" for the Panthéon in Paris.'

'Puvis declared that he wanted to represent various layers in reality: the almost supernatural appearance of Geneviève offset by the peasants staring with amazement.'

'The Poor Fisherman was the first of Puvis de Chavannes' paintings to be bought by the State.'

'Thus, he made his figures flat and selected his colors to match the stone of the wall.'

'Taking as his base the intersection between the broad expanse of the horizon and the vertical form of his figures, Chavannes conjures images of a biblical world that evoke a religious, poetic sensibility in the hearts of his viewers.'