300 



FRANCE. (PAINTING, &C.) 



from domestic life, exhibit the most characteristic 

 traits of the French manner of thinking and feeling. 

 His pictures are executed in a simple and lovely 

 style, but are not entirely free from ati'ectation. He 

 was the inventor of that popular species of works, 

 called tableaux de genre. Vien, born in 1715, at 

 Montpellier, became the first reformer of taste, and 

 the father and Nestor of the modern school. His 

 paintings are distinguished by a noble simplicity, 

 correct design, and faithful imitation of nature. The 

 celebrated David (q. v.), the founder of the present 

 French school, was his disciple. This artist was the 

 first who introduced the rigid study of antiques and 

 of nature, and thus gave rise to a purer style and a 

 more correct drawing than had ever before existed 

 in France. His influence in refining the taste of his 

 nation, his zeal and unremitted industry, his affection 

 for, and paternal interest in, his disciples, are un- 

 paralleled in the whole history of art. Vincent, 

 Regnault, and Menageot, are distinguished contem- 

 porary artists. The revolution broke out, and, in 

 1791, all institutions of art were abolished by the 

 national assembly. The most precious works of art 

 were destroyed by the fury of the populace ; but the 

 artists were inspired with a new spirit. A society 

 was formed under the name of the national republican 

 society of artists, to the meetings of which, in the 

 Louvre, every citizen had free access. The principal 

 events of the revolution were the subjects that en- 

 gaged their pencils ; and, if the expression was 

 harsh and exaggerated, the insipid manner of the 

 former period entirely disappeared. In the reign 

 of Napoleon, every thing conspired powerfully to 

 promote the arts, and a great number of distin- 

 guished artists appeared. The three most celebrated 

 schools of painting were those of David, Regnault 

 and Vincent. Among the disciples of David was 

 Drouais, who died early, at Rome, in 1788. His 

 love of all that was sublime, and good, and noble, 

 his tenderness, and his high standard of excellence, 

 would probably have made him the greatest of French 

 artists. Gerard, who gained celebrity by his great 

 historical painting, representing the entrance of 

 Henry IV. into Paris, stands at the head of David's 

 living disciples. Gros, Ingres, Peytavin, Hennequin, 

 Berthon, Serangeli, Mad. Laville-Leroux, Mad. 

 Angelique, Mongez, Mad. Barbier-Valbonne, Van 

 Bret and Richard (of Lyons), are among the most 

 distinguished of his pupils. Richard executes ro- 

 mantic scenes from the history of the middle ages 

 with great delicacy, uniting the charms of a fine 

 distribution of light and those of aerial and linear 

 perspective. Regnault stands at the head of a 

 second school. His own works are correct and 

 pleasing, although they ranind us of the old style. 

 His most distinguished pupil is Guerin, an artist of 

 the first rank. Of his other pupils, Landon (editor 

 of the Annales du Musee), Menjaud, Blondel, 

 Moreau, and especially the portrait painter Robert 

 le Fe^vre, deserve mention. Regnault has educated 

 many female artists; and several of his female 

 pupils are very distinguished, as, Mad. Auzon, 

 Lenoir, Romany, Mile. Lorimier, Benoit, Uavin- 

 Mirvaux, &c. Among the older artists in Paris, 

 Vincent, La Grenee, Taillasson, Peyron, Monsiau, 

 Le Thiers and Prudhon (who has taken Correggio 

 for his pattern), deserve honourable mention. Girodel 

 (died in 1825), a historical painter, Isabey anc 

 Augustin, miniature painters ; Drolling, painter ol 

 conversation-pieces ; Redoute, an excellent painter 

 of flowers ; Valenciennes, the landscape painter ; 

 Mad. Claudet (the wife of an able statuary), a suc- 

 cessor of G reuze ; Mad. Kugler, a painter in enamel, 

 and Desnoyers, and Berwick, engravers, are orna- 

 ment of the modern school. A great impulse was 



iven to the talents of the French painters by the 

 collection of works of art, the spoils of conquered 

 Kurope, which so long graced the museum of Paris, 

 inder the superintendence of the zealous and talented 

 Denon. But few of the great number of modern 

 rench artists are inspired with the calm, sacred 

 spirit of art ; they are often too theatrical, possess- 

 ng more sentimentality than depth of feeling. The 

 mechanical part of the art, however, they execute in 



masterly manner, with ease and boldness. They 

 are particularly distinguished for their excellence of 

 lesign. 



French Academy. A society of learned men and 

 joets, having been formed in Paris, in 1629, cardinal 

 lichelieu declared himself their protector, and a 

 royal patent constituted them, in 1635, the Academic 

 Francaise, and fixed the number of members at 

 "orty. Richelieu hated Corneille, and, therefore, 

 one of the first literary decrees issued by this academy 

 was to pronounce the Cid a miserable tragedy. 

 After the death of Richelieu, the chancellor Seguier 

 took the academy under his patronage. Louis XIV. 

 next declared himself their protector, and granted 

 ,hem a room in the Louvre, where they thenceforth 

 ield their meetings. (For an account of the divisions 

 and doings of this body, see Academy.) In 1795, it 

 was converted into the Institut de France, which was 

 iharged with the collecting of discoveries and the 

 advancement of the arts and sciences. In 1804, 

 Napoleon divided the national institute into four 

 lasses : the first, consisting of sixty-three members, 

 for the physical and mathematical sciences ; the 

 second of forty, for the French language and litera- 

 ture ; the third of forty members, eight foreign 

 associates, and sixty correspondents, for ancient 

 literature and history. The fourth class, for the fine 

 arts, had twenty members, eight foreign associates, 

 and thirty-six correspondents. In 1815, the name of 

 Institute was retained ; but the four classes received 

 their former names : Academic des Sciences, Acade- 

 mie Francaise, Academic des Inscriptions et Belles- 

 lettres, Academic de Peinture et Sculpture. Tli 

 well known Biographic des Quarante de V Academic 

 Franqaise, Paris, 1826, is more caustic than witty. 



French Sculpture. See Sculpture. 

 Church. The Catholic church of France was always 

 distinguished by its independence of the papal chair. 

 The first foundation of its privileges was laid by 

 the pragmatic sanction, concluded 1438. The points 

 established in this convention between the pope and 

 the king, were confirmed and extended by the 

 quatuor propositiones cleri Gallicani of 1682. A 

 dispute having arisen between Louis XIV. and Inno- 

 cent XL, on the right (la regale), previously exercised 

 by the kings, of fifiing the lower ecclesiastical places 

 during the vacancy of a bishopric, tho king assem- 

 bled the French clergy at Paris, in 1C81, who drew 

 up the four propositions above mentioned. They 

 declare that power and authority are given by God 

 to the vicar of Christ in spiritual, but not in temporal 

 things ; that tlu's power is limited and restrained by 

 the law of the church and general councils, and that 

 the sentence of the pope is not incapable, of change 

 (irreformabilv), unless it is sanctioned by the voice of 

 the church. Napoleon more than once appealed to 

 this doctrine in his contests with the papal chair. 

 In doctrines and ceremonies, the Gallican church 

 does not differ from the Catholic church in general. 

 Previous to the revolution, it was adorned by learned 

 scholars and celebrated preachers Bossuet, Bour- 

 daloue, Massillon, Fenelon, and Flechier. The 

 revolution overthrew the church, stripped the clergy 

 of their estates, and abolished their schools and 

 seminaries. Bonaparte, when first consul of the 

 French republic, restored the church by a concordats 



