"The French Colonial Habitation" by Andrew LaMar Hopkins.

"The French Colonial Habitation" by Andrew LaMar Hopkins. 24 x 18 Available. 

Louis Moreau Gottschalk - La Nuit des Tropiques / A Night in the Tropics

My latest Masterpiece is called "The French Colonial Habitation". I have worked on this painting since I have returned from France 3 weeks ago. It shows a late 18th century Creole scene in front of a Louisiana, Creole French Colonial plantation house framed by two large live oak trees. The main level of the house is elevated with tall French doors that open directly onto the galleries on both levels.

Most Louisiana Creole homes have exterior staircases within the galleries like this house. The steep hipped roof with three dormers extends up to 12 feet to form the gallery. The deep galleries shade the walls from sun and protect the walls from rain. Creole aristocrats are fashionably dressed are posed on a cobblestone walkway. Under the gallery are French Olive jars. Behind the aristocrats is a French style Parterre garden in the shape of fleur-de-lis, a stylized lily.

Since France was once a Catholic nation, the Fleur de lis became commonly used "at one and the same time, religious, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in French heraldry. Next to the gentleman on the left is a Louisiana Catahoula Dog. The Catahoula is the result of Native Americans having bred their own dogs with molossers and greyhounds brought to Louisiana by Hernando de Soto in the 16th century. 18 x 24. Acrylic on canvas board.Available, Price upon request.

"The French Colonial Habitation" by Andrew LaMar Hopkins. 

If you would like to see more of my Art works you can visit my site here.

https://squareup.com/store/andrew-hopkins 

The Electric Spark c. 1790-1799 by Louis Leopold Boilly

The Electric Spark c. 1790-1799 by Louis Leopold Boilly

The Grand Medici Vase Sèvres 1783

The Grand Medici Vase Sèvres 1783

   One of my favorite pieces of porcelain at the Louvre is a large over 6 foot high 18th century Sèvres porcelain vase in the antique Medici Vase form, greatly admired in France since the seventeenth century when Colbert commissioned copies for Versailles. This vase was commissioned by the Earl of Angiviller of the Garde-Meuble of Crown and delivered to Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette at Versailles in 1783.





It is the largest Sevres porcelain vase made in the eighteenth century thanks to the strength of hard paste porcelain. Louis-Simon Boizot (1773-1809) designed the shape and Neoclassical decoration in bisque porcelain. The bronzes are the work of Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751-1843). Placed in the castle of Saint-Cloud in 1807, the vessel received its pedestal in 1840 at the request of Louis-Philippe. The model is the sculptor Henry Triqueti (1804-1874).


Design by Louis-Simon Boizot

Louis-Simon Boizot was appointed head of the sculpture workshop of the Manufacture de Sevres in 1773. He gave many models of sculptures and vases, but his name has been immortalized by this monumental vase in the Musée du Louvre. It was possible to achieve such a vessel through the use of hard porcelain. Boizot designed the form called "Medici" which he used to showcase the band of relief bisque which runs along the neck. The vase is composed of several elements. The headband biscuit is made in one piece that caused difficulties in manufacturing requiring exceptional agility and technical skill in execution. On one side the relief represents Diane awarding the prize of the hunt and the other a surprise Diane Endymion. The rest of the vase is glazed cobalt blue. This combination of glazed porcelain and matt biscuit is a major feature of the style of Louis XVI at Sevres.


Bronze ormolu by Pierre-Philippe Thomire

The minutely chased gold gilt and antiqued bronze figure prominently in the decoration of this vase. Inspired by neoclassical friezes they include ovals, palm leaves, acanthus leaves and garlands of flowers hanging on the handles on which stand two women dressed in antique. With this vase, Thomire began his illustrious career at Sevres. This large vase was intended to form a pair. The second vessel was to receive a decoration in low relief depicting The Toilet of Venus, on the one hand, and Venus on the water, on the other. The band was never completed due to technical problems and was replaced by a bronze decoration also Thomire. This second Grand Vase is kept at the Pitti Palace in Florence. In addition to the Louvre museum houses a large reduction of these two vases.


The pedestal according to Henry Triqueti

In the eighteenth century, the vase was presented without base. This pedestal was commissioned by Louis-Philippe (1773-1850) to complement the vase at the Chateau de Saint-Cloud. The vase was housed in the Apollo Gallery of the castle of St. Cloud from 1807 to 1853. The model is the work of Henri de Triqueti. The base is confined to heads of deer bronze patina. Above a frieze bisque is made with allegorical figures about the four elements. The main body of each face is a square plate Bisque and supervision of foliage plants in ormolu porcelain blue background. This decor combining biscuit porcelain enameled in blue and gilt bronze may have been suggested by Alexandre Brongniart (director of the factory from 1800 to 1847) to match the vase which incorporates the decorative. The decor of this basement is borrowed from ancient times to the directory and the Renaissance, emblematic association of the July Monarchy and especially Triqueti.

The Grand Medici Vase Sèvres 1783

The second Grand vase was to receive a decoration in low relief depicting The Toilet of Venus, on the one hand, and Venus on the water, on the other. The band was never completed due to technical problems and was replaced by a bronze decoration also Thomire. This second Grand Vase is kept at the Pitti Palace in Florence.                                                                    

18th century Boiserie/paneling at the Boston Museum of Art

I spent a lovely two weeks in Boston last August for my birthday. I thought I was escaping the hot dog days of Baltimore's summer for a cool New England getaway. Boy was I wrong. Upon arriving in Boston I felt like Katharine Hepburn in The African Queen. Boston was hotter then Baltimore and reminded me of the heat and humidity of my old stumping ground New Orleans. Every day I went out and explored Museums and Antique shops. I fell in love with the Ann and William Elfers Gallery of 18th century art at The Boston Museum of Art and visited this room a few times on my trip. The room was amazing! including works of art by 18th century French master François Boucher, Sèvres Porcelain, 18th century gilded French furniture, items own by French Queen Marie Antoinette and my favorite a set of eight ornately carved and gilded Neoclassical Boiserie panels from the circular salon of the Hôtel de Montmorency. Look out for future blogs on other objects in the room.

The eight large panels were designed by one of my favorite French Neoclassical architects Claude-Nicolas Ledoux, French, 1736–1806 and date from around 1770. The Boiserie was beautifully carved by master carver Joseph Méthivier. The panels are carved out of oak a very difficult wood to carve and painted in white milk paint & gilded with gold leaf. The detail carvings are bold and exemplifies the neoclassical style of decoration fashionable in France by the early 1770's. Depicting goddesses of arts and creative inspiration, cherubs supporting perfume burners and ewers based on ancient Greek & Roman prototypes. While above are exquisite suspended trophies of musical instruments, hunting spoils and architect's tools- symbolic of the artistic and athletic pursuits of the patron.

Sadly much of Claude-Nicolas Ledoux work was destroyed in the nineteenth century. During the first half of the 19th century entire districts of Paris were demolished ' clearing out narrow, winding medieval streets along with great masterpieces of architecture to create the network of wide avenues and neo-classical façades that still make much of modern Paris. Boston collector Peter Parker acquired the panels in Paris in 1848. Shortly after the demolition of the Hôtel de Montmorency. Peter Parker built in the 1850's a mansion called Deacon House, on Beacon Hill in Boston for his daughter Sarahann and his son-in-law Edward Preble Deacon . The Boiserie and a pair of large François Boucher paintings, "Halt at the Spring" 1765 & "Return from Market" 1767 hung in the Deacon house until 1871. They are now all housed in the Boston Museum of art.