Louise Moillon facts for kids

Louise Moillon (1610–1696) was a talented French still life painter from the Baroque period. She was known as one of the best still life artists of her time. Even King Charles I of England bought her paintings, as did many French noble families. Louise Moillon's art often showed a special Flemish style. She created about 40 known artworks during her life. These paintings are now kept in museums and private collections around the world.

Her Life Story

Louise Moillon was born in Paris, France, in 1610. Her family followed a strict Protestant religion called Calvinism. She grew up in the St–Germain-des-Prés area of Paris. This neighborhood was a safe place for Protestants who were being treated unfairly for their beliefs. Many Dutch painters lived there too, which might have influenced Louise's art style.

Louise lived during the Baroque era, a time when still-life painting became very popular. While still-life art was huge in Holland, it was just starting to grow in France where Louise lived. Louise had six brothers and sisters. One of her brothers, Isaac Moillon, also became a painter. Her father, Nicolas Moillon, was a landscape and portrait painter and an art dealer. He taught Louise the basics of painting. Sadly, he died when she was young.

The next year, Louise's mother married another painter and art dealer, Francois Garnier. He continued to teach Louise and help her with her art education.

In the 1640s, Louise Moillon married Etienne Girardot, who sold timber. After she got married, she didn't paint as often. She never had any children. Later in her life, in 1685, a law called the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes was passed. This law said that everyone in France had to be Catholic. Louise's family was greatly affected by this. It's believed her husband was put in prison because he refused to change his religion. After this law, Louise stopped producing art. She died in France in 1696 and was buried in a Catholic ceremony.

Her Unique Painting Style

Louise Moillon was a master of still-life painting. She usually used oil paints on canvas or wooden panels. Her paintings often showed fruits, carefully arranged on tables. Her artwork is known for being very calm and incredibly detailed. You can almost feel the texture of the fruit in her paintings. She often made exotic fruits glow against a dark background.

Louise used a special technique called Trompe l'oeil. This French phrase means "trick the eye." She used it to make her paintings look so real that viewers might think the objects were actually there. This technique helped her create amazing textures, making her still-lifes seem very lifelike. She also painted ledges that seemed to extend out of the picture frame, adding to the illusion.

Even though Louise mostly painted still-lifes, sometimes she included small human figures in the background of her pieces. She was one of the first French still-life artists to combine people with still-life scenes before 1650. Another painter, Jacques Linard, also did this.

Moillon's style mixed ideas from Flemish painting, like using Trompe l'oeil and strong contrasts between cool and warm colors. She also used elements from French genre painting, which is about everyday life. Some people have said that the way she arranged fruit in her paintings had a simple, natural quality.

A writer named Georges de Scudéry praised Louise Moillon in 1646. He even compared her to famous artists like Michelangelo and Raphael, showing how highly people thought of her. In 1641, she worked with two other painters, Peter van Boucle and Jacques Linard, on a large painting of fruit and flowers. Most of Louise Moillon's paintings were created in the 1630s, before she married Etienne Girardot in 1640. Her last known painting is from 1674.

Images for kids

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  Basket of Apricots, 1634. Held by the Louvre Museum.

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  Basket with Peaches and Grapes, 1631. Held by the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe Museum.

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  The Fruit and Vegetable Seller (also known as At the Greengrocer), 1631. Held by the Louvre Museum.

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  Bowl of Lemons and Oranges in a Box of Wood Shavings and Pomegranates, 1630. Held by the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

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  Still Life with Bowl of Curacao Oranges, 1634. Held by the Norton Simon Museum.

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  Still Life with Fruit, 1637. Held by the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

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  Still Life with Cherries, Strawberries and Gooseberries, 1630. Held by the Norton Simon Museum.

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  Basket of Fruit with a Bunch of Asparagus, 1630. Held by the Art Institute of Chicago.

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  At the Market Stall. Private Collection.

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  Still Life with Blackberries. Held by the Musée des Augustins.

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  Basket of Peaches. Held by Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

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  Still Life with a Basket of Fruit, 1630. Private Collection.

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  Plum Basket with Basket of Strawberries, 1632. Held by the Musée des Augustins.

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  Cup of Cherries and Melon, 1633. Held by the Louvre Museum.

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  Still Life with Peaches on a Ledge. Private Collection.

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  Market Scene with a Pick-Pocket. Private Collection.

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  Still Life with Peaches and Plums. Held by the Louvre Museum.

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  Still Life with Peaches and Grapes in a China Bowl. Private Collection.

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  Still Life with Basket of Plums, 1629. Private Collection.

See also

In Spanish: Louise Moillon para niños