French Painters

Did you know that David's The Death of Marat (1793), painted after the murder of the revolutionary leader Marat, is called "the pietà of the Revolution." Did you know that Jean Fouquet used the face of the mistress of King Charles VII of France, Agnes Sorel, as the face of the Virgin in his picture Virgin and Child surrounded by Angels. Did you know that Jacques-Louis David was called "The Robespierre of the Brush"? The book French Painters: Fouquet to Delacroix includes many such nuggets of information. It is an introductory book about early French painters and paintings. The earliest painters are from the Renaissance period followed by those of Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, and Romantic periods. The important painters are Georges de La Tour, Nicolas Poussin, Claude Lorraine, Antoine Watteau, Jean Fragonard, Jean Chardin, Jacques Louis David, Ingres, and Eugene Delacroix. A section deals with French paintings of various genres, including history, landscape, still life, and genre paintings. Many French paintings are based on literary texts. A chapter deals with such paintings. The book also includes interesting quizzes on Painters and paintings.