Showing posts with label dandy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dandy. Show all posts
Degas' Dapper Dandies
Unlike the younger generation of Impressionist artists who ventured outdoors with the newly invented tube oil paint to capture the natural world, Edgar Degas focused almost exclusively on contemporary figures found indoors. While most famous for his depictions of ballerinas, washerwomen and prostitutes, Degas' sharp powers of observation were well suited to capturing the confident swagger of male sophisticates in Paris.
Hairy Hungarians
Hungarian men of the Belle Epoque seem particularly drawn to looks with extra drama and distinction. Dandyism ruled.
Claude Terrasse (1867-1923)
The brother-in-law of the painter Pierre Bonnard, Claude Terrasse became famous in Paris as a composer of operettas. After being introduced by Bonnard to the avante-garde art and literature scenes, Terrasse's distinctive appearance was immortalized in a portrait by Louis Sue (top). If Auguste Renoir depicts Terrasse within the painter's preference for romantic idealism, Bonnard typically chooses to emphasize the picturesque possibilities of the composer's figure surrounded by the clutter of domesticity.
Manet by Fantin-Latour
Henri Fantin-Latour (1836-1904) was most famous for naturalistic still-life of flowers and fruit as well as slightly mysterious portraits of his fellow artists. One of his most famous friends and sitters was the elegantly dressed Edouard Manet of 1867. Although he made some of the most controversial and progressive art of his time, Manet's outward appearance was that of a well-off sophisticate. Fantin-Latour manages to capture his handsome look, while hinting at Manet's considerable fortitude.
Pupil's masterful portrait of his teacher
John Singer Sargent's portrait of his teacher Carolus-Duran shows his master's charismatic persona as well the student's supreme confidence.
Duran's approach to character
Carolus Duran (1837-1917) established one of the most esteemed ateliers in Paris. He counted Manet, Fantin-Latour, and Courbet as his friends and models, while Maximilien Luce, Takeji Fujishima, and John Singer Sargent were his most famous students. Duran's talent as a portraitist was to adapt his approach to capture the unique physical and emotional presence of the sitter. His male portraits, especially compared to his female ones have a powerfully direct approach. If Sargent celebrated his subject's grandeur and beauty, Carolus-Duran presented his subjects power and presence.
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