Important Old Master Paintings and European Works of Art

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Lot 78
  • 78

Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld Carpentras 1758 - 1846 Montmorency

Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 USD
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Description

  • Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld
  • An Afternoon View of the Town of Marino wih the Forest Beyond
  • signed and dated lower right J.ph Bidauld 1787
    and inscribed on the reverse, on the canvas, Vue d'une partie de la Ville de Marino et de la forêt l'après-midi
  • oil on paper laid down on canvas

Provenance

Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld;
His deceased sale, Paris, Bonnefons de Lavialle, March 25-26, 1847, no. 19. 

Catalogue Note

Born in Carpentras in 1758, Bidauld, like other French landscape painters of his generation, sojourned in Rome in 1785 to complete his artistic training. This Italian trip proved to be a defining moment for the artist; the paintings he produced during this time, many begun en plein air, served as inspiration for the rest of his career. After five fruitful years in Italy, he returned to Paris and exhibited at the Salon of 1791, where he continued to exhibit until 1841. His beautifully executed, evenly lit landscapes were an instant success. Not only was he commissioned by King Louis XVIII, King Charles IV of Spain, and Joseph Bonaparte, but he was also the first artist to be elected to the Académie purely as a landscape painter. One of his last paintings, dated 1846, show that while he was no longer exhibiting, he continued to revel in his art until his death at age 88. At the mention of his name, Camille Corot is reported to exclaim:

"Bidauld! Ah! But gently, now , he wasn't just anybody, he was at times truly a master, and one of the finest. Certain of his small canvases are masterpieces, and full of fine example and sound counsel for all of us, young and old alike. I admire and I respect him, since, you see, I owe him a great deal, if not my very best."1

The present landscape depicts the town of Marino, located south-east of Rome in the Alban Hills, on the road to Nemi, not far from the lake of Albano. Its scenic vistas made this beautiful spot popular with artists of the time, thus it was an obvious choice for Bidauld who was traveling through Italy.  This particular view is one that travelers would see as they were making their way back to Marino from Rome.

1  Laurens, Jules. La Légende des ateliers. Carpentras, 1901.