Puvis de Chavannes

A French artist and decorator, the founder of Symbolism. Puvis de Chavannes was a master of monumental painting, who strived to combine two types of art – easel painting and decorative panel; he succeeded in this. His works, which adorned the buildings of the Paris Pantheon, the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, the Sorbonne and other architectural ensembles, are the embodiment of artistic thought in the interior and look extremely harmonious, emphasizing architectural advantages. The paintings of Puvis de Chavannes, filled with truly symbolic sound, had an enormous influence on the further development of European visual art; his teaching activity was impetus for the formation of the talent of many young artists.

Key ideas:

– Puvis de Chavannes is known for his special monumental painting style and high decorativeness of his works. His paintings are characterized by a strict, verified composition and restrained color. The painter preferred to depict human figures against the landscape, alternating elements in such a way as to create a kind of rhythm in his canvases. This helped him to achieve incredible artistic unity in his works and an amazing harmony of painting.

– Staying in opposition to contemporary Realism and Impressionism, de Chavannes sought to convey his worldview through symbols that came from his ancestors. He was inspired by world of old masters, considering frescoes of the Renaissance as a true ideal, which had been lost by his contemporaries.

– The artist was an idealist; however, his paintings cannot be called dry and abstract. They are full of energy, not visible, but kind of hidden from prying eyes behind the strict compositional construction and the monotony of details.

– In his paintings, Puvis de Chavannes refers to the sublime strings of the soul, to its secrets, often bringing sad notes and mystical themes of dreams into the plot. In the artist’s work, there is always a message to the mental state of a person and his morality.