Charles antoine coypel biography of barack

Harvard Art Museums

This object does not yet have a description.

Identification and Creation

Object Number

R3994

People

Jean Baptiste Massé, French (1687 - 1767)
After Charles-Antoine Coypel, French (Paris 1694 - 1752 Paris)

Title

Antoine Coypel

Other Titles

Alternate Title: Engraved by J.B. Massé for his Reception into the Academie
Original Language Title: Gravé par J.B. Massé pour sa Reception à l'Academie

Classification

Prints

Work Type

print

Date

1717

Culture

French

Persistent Link

https://hvrd.art/o/240580

Physical Descriptions

Technique

Engraving

Dimensions

Image: 35.5 × 24.5 cm (14 × 9 5/8 in.)
Plate: 36 × 25 cm (14 3/16 × 9 13/16 in.)
Sheet: 54.5 × 38.2 cm (21 7/16 × 15 1/16 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History

John Witt Randall, bequest to his sister.
Belinda Lull Randall, sister of John Witt Randall, gift to Harvard University, 1892.

State, Edition, Standard Reference Number

Standard Reference Number

R.-D. 1

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line

Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Gift of Belinda L. Randall from the collection of John Witt Randall

Object Number

R3994

Division

European and American Art

Co

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Hazel Stainer

Pastel – an art medium in the form of a stick consisting of powdered pigment and a binding agent. This was the primary medium for many artists during the 18th century, although it had been used since the Renaissance era. Yet, if it was so popular, why are paintings from that era in art galleries primarily oil paintings? The answer: pastel paintings do not age well, therefore, they are very fragile.

Unlike oil paints, which take a considerably long time to dry, pastels were a quick way of “drawing” a painting, which appealed to both portrait artists and their sitters. Pastels are also much more portable than oil paints and take little time to set up. They do not necessarily need water and can be applied to dry paper, although some artists prefer to wet the pastels into a paste and apply them to the surface with a paintbrush.

Today, crayon-like oil pastels are sold commercially, however, in the 18th century, they were made without oil and had a higher ratio of pigment to binder. Whilst this meant it was easier to blend the colours, the powdery pigments did not adhere as firmly. As a result, the colours often faded over time when exposed to light, hence why they are less likely to be hung in a public gallery.

Special, low-lit exhibition

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Viewing libertinage fit in Charles-Antoine Coypel’s Children In concert at representation Toilette (1728)

Charles-Antoine฀Coypel,฀Children฀Playing฀at฀the฀Toilette,฀,฀oil฀on฀canvas,฀.฀x฀.฀cm.฀ Collection฀of฀Dr฀Martin฀L.฀Cohen฀and฀Sharleen฀Cooper฀Cohen,฀Malibu Viewing฀libertinage฀in฀Charles-Antoine฀ Coypel’s฀Children฀Playing฀at฀the฀Toilette฀() by฀ Hannah฀Williams For฀their฀valuable฀comments฀on฀this฀essay,฀ I฀ thank฀ Katie฀ Scott,฀ Mary฀ Roberts฀ and฀ Sarah฀Monks. Mischievously฀performing฀the฀ritual฀of฀the฀daily฀toilette,฀the฀childish฀ figures฀ in฀ Charles-Antoine฀ Coypel’s฀ Children฀ Playing฀ at฀ the฀ Toilette฀ present฀ a฀ puzzling฀ image.฀ While฀ the฀ toilette฀ ceremony฀ was฀ indeed฀ a฀ paradigmatic฀ feature฀ of฀ eighteenth-century฀ French฀ aristocratic฀ society฀ —฀ considered฀ the฀ symbol฀ par฀ excellence฀ of฀ a฀ materialistically฀self-interested฀upper฀class฀—฀its฀representation฀by฀Coypel฀in฀this฀ burlesque฀ genre฀ scene฀ does฀ not฀ conform฀ to฀ the฀ conventional฀ representations฀of฀ladies฀at฀their฀dressing฀tables,฀such฀as฀François฀Boucher’s฀ celebrated฀portrayal฀of฀Madame฀de฀Pompadour฀at฀her฀Toilette฀(Fig.฀).฀ Neither฀ does฀ the฀ painting฀ sit฀ easily฀ with฀ the฀ iconographic฀ traditions฀ of฀children’s฀genre฀scenes.฀Showing฀a฀partially฀naked฀girl฀coquettishly฀ receiving฀the฀fi