Ary Scheffer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ary Scheffer
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Self Portrait at the age of 43, c. 1838
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| Born | 10 February 1795 Dordrecht, Netherlands
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| Died | 15 June 1858 (aged 63) Argenteuil, France
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| Nationality | Dutch, French |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Romanticism |
Ary Scheffer (born February 10, 1795 – died June 15, 1858) was a famous painter from the Netherlands and France. He was known for his Romantic style.
Scheffer often painted scenes from popular books and stories. He created artworks based on the writings of Dante, Goethe, and Lord Byron. He also painted many religious pictures. Besides these, he was very good at painting portraits of important people of his time.
Ary Scheffer had close connections with King Louis Philippe I of France. He even taught the king's children. This helped him live a very comfortable life for many years. However, things changed after the French Revolution of 1848.
Life of a Painter
Ary Scheffer was born in Dordrecht, Netherlands. His father, Johan Bernard Scheffer, was a portrait painter. His mother, Cornelia Lamme, also painted small portraits. Ary was named after his grandfather, a landscape painter.
Ary had two younger brothers, Karel Arnold and Hendrik Scheffer. Hendrik also became a painter. Ary started learning to draw at a young age. When he was 11, he attended a drawing academy in Amsterdam.
In 1808, his father became the court painter for Louis Bonaparte. Sadly, his father died just one year later. After his father's death, Ary moved to Lille, France, to continue his art studies. In 1811, he and his mother moved to Paris. There, he studied at the famous École des Beaux-Arts. His mother greatly supported his art career.
Scheffer began showing his paintings at the Salon de Paris in 1812. He started gaining recognition around 1817. In 1819, he was asked to paint a portrait of the Marquis de Lafayette, a famous French general. Because of his connections, Scheffer and his brothers became involved in politics. He was a strong supporter of Greek independence, a movement called Philhellenism.
In 1822, Scheffer became a drawing teacher for the children of Louis Philippe I. At the time, Louis Philippe was the Duke of Orléans. This connection brought Scheffer many jobs painting portraits and other artworks.
In 1830, there were riots in France against King Charles X. This event is known as the July Revolution. Scheffer and a journalist named Adolphe Thiers rode to Orléans. They asked Louis Philippe to lead the country. A few days later, Louis Philippe became the "King of the French".
That same year, Scheffer's daughter, Cornélia, was born. She later became a sculptor and painter herself. Scheffer's family did very well during Louis Philippe's reign. He and his brother Hendrik received many art jobs. They also taught many students in their workshop in Paris.
In 1848, King Louis Philippe gave up his throne. Scheffer was made a commander of the Legion of Honour, a high French award. He was also a captain in the Garde Nationale. He helped the French royal family escape during the revolution. He also escorted the Duchess d'Orléans to the parliament.
Scheffer also fought in the army during the June Days Uprising in Paris in 1848. He was deeply upset by the violence and suffering he saw. After this, he decided to step away from politics. He even refused to paint portraits for the family of Napoléon III, who became ruler after the uprising.
In 1850, he became a French citizen. He also married Sophie Marin. She was the widow of General Baudrand. Scheffer continued to travel often, visiting the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and England. However, he had a heart condition that limited his activities. He died in 1858 at his summer home in Argenteuil. He is buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris.
Famous Artworks
When Scheffer finished his studies, a new art style called Romanticism was popular in France. Other painters like Eugène Delacroix were part of this movement. Scheffer developed his own unique style. Some people called it "classical" because it was very precise.
Scheffer loved to paint scenes from famous books. He often found inspiration in the works of Dante, Byron, and Goethe.
One of his most famous paintings is Francesca da Rimini, painted in 1836. This artwork shows a scene from Dante's Inferno. It depicts Francesca and Paolo, two lovers, caught in a never-ending storm in the second circle of Hell. Their bodies are intertwined, and their clothes seem to swirl, making them look like they are moving. This creates a feeling of motion and instability in the painting. In the background, the poets Dante and Virgil watch the scene.
Scheffer also created many paintings based on Goethe's Faust. These include Margaret at her wheel and Margaret at the well. He also painted two pictures of Goethe's character Mignon: Mignon desires her fatherland (1836) and Mignon yearns for heaven (1851).
Later in his career, Scheffer started painting more religious subjects. Some of these include Christus Consolator (1836), The shepherds led by the star (1837), and Christ interred (1845).
One smaller version of his Christus Consolator painting was lost for 70 years. It was found in a church closet in Minnesota in 2007. After being restored, it is now displayed at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Scheffer was also a very talented portrait painter. He painted about 500 portraits in total. Some of the famous people he painted include the composers Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt. He also painted the Marquis de la Fayette, Charles Dickens, and Queen Marie Amélie.
After 1846, he stopped showing his work in public art shows. His close ties to the royal family meant he was less popular after the French Second Republic began in 1848. He continued to paint many artworks in his studio. These paintings were only shown after his death in 1858.
Some of the works shown after he died include Sorrows of the earth and Angel announcing the Resurrection. By the time he passed away, his reputation had suffered. Even though his paintings were admired for their charm, some critics thought his use of color was not strong enough.
Friends and Family
Ary Scheffer had many friends in the art and music world. He was a close friend of Louis Viardot, who was the husband of the famous singer Pauline Viardot. Scheffer was a trusted friend and confidant to Pauline Viardot and her family throughout his life.
In 1850, Scheffer officially became a French citizen. He married Sophie Marin, who was the widow of General Baudrand. Sophie passed away in 1856.
His younger brother, Hendrik Scheffer, also became a painter. He was born in The Hague in 1798.
Gallery
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A convalescent mother and her children, 1824
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Portrait of Franz Liszt, 1837
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Faust and Marguerite in the Garden, 1846
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Le petit atelier, 1850
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Marguerite at the fountain, 1858
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Jesus and Angel, between 1848 and 1858
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Christ Weeping Over Jerusalem, 1851
See also
In Spanish: Ary Scheffer para niños
