Hubert Robert
Do you remember yesterday's Imaginary View of the Grande Galerie in the Louvre? ; ) Today, the fascinating Hubert Robert offers Imaginary View of the Grande Galerie in the Louvre in ruins.
This one was painted in 1796, seven years after the French Revolution and three years after the opening of the Louvre as a museum. In this painting, we still recognize the architecture of the Louvre, but the roof has crumbled down. There still are artists drawing in front of sculptures and people trying to find lost treasures. The French Revolution left destruction behind and people realized their patrimonial inheritance. The painter imagined how the Louvre could stay as a source of inspiration, even in ruins after having been a museum.
When compared to archeological Roman views, this painting demonstrated once again that Roman antiquity was the best model in art. Indeed, Roman architecture and art remained centuries after the Roman Empire. To highlight this reference, Hubert Robert included the Apollo Belvedere and the Slave of Michelangelo, two masterpieces of antique and classical sculpture. Archeological ruins is a classic pattern inherited of the 17th century.
In Europe, a lot of new museums were created after the 18th century and their architectural styles were based on the classical Roman model to institute museums as temples of art and knowledge.
- Coraline Meric
P.S. Here you will find ALL the Louvre masterpieces from Beyoncé & Jay-Z’s APES**T video explained!