View of the Louvre from the Courtyard
Silvestre Israel
Basic information
- ID
- Г-IV-1006
- Author
- Silvestre Israel
- Name
- View of the Louvre from the Courtyard
- Date of creation
- c.1650
- Country
- France
- Technique
- etching
- Material
- paper
- Dimensions (height x width, cm)
- 13 x 24
Additionally
- Type
- graphic art
- Genre
- cityscape
- Plot
- City landscape
- Provenance
- Lviv Historical Museum
Information about author
Object description
Although the series of engravings "Vues de Paris" ("The Views of Paris") was formally attributed to Silvestre Israel, it was a result of the collaboration between several talented 17th-century engravers, including Jean Marot, Stefano della Bella, and Silvestre Israel himself. Cooperation between graphic artists was common when a group of masters worked on one series or even a piece.
Silvestre Israel was the author of the drawings and made only a few etchings. The series was published on 12 sheets in Henriet Israel's publishing house. The engravings depict important Parisian buildings. This sheet was created by two graphic artists: Jean Marot, who recreated the structure, and Stefano della Bella, who worked on the figures and the landscape.
On the engraving, Jean Marot depicted the facade of the Clock pavilion of the Royal Palace in the Louvre, based on a drawing by Silvestre Israel. The pavilion was still under construction at the time the sheet was created. There is the unfinished right enfilade designed by the architect Jacques Lemercier, which has already been overgrown with shrubs.
Jean Marot meticulously executed all the ornamental decorations of the facade and made his own additions. He used allegorical sculptures to replace the window on the top floor of the pavilion passage. Stefano della Bella, who skilfully represented the court life of the Louvre, created small figures of people doing their daily things in front of the building.
Soldiers, elegant couples, children playing, men gambling in a circle, dogs chasing each other, and cats ready to fight – all are depicted here. Combining these elements adds an exceptional vibrancy to the work and draws the viewer's attention. The panoramic view of the Parisian suburbs unfolds behind the unfinished enfilade.
Silvestre Israel was the author of the drawings and made only a few etchings. The series was published on 12 sheets in Henriet Israel's publishing house. The engravings depict important Parisian buildings. This sheet was created by two graphic artists: Jean Marot, who recreated the structure, and Stefano della Bella, who worked on the figures and the landscape.
On the engraving, Jean Marot depicted the facade of the Clock pavilion of the Royal Palace in the Louvre, based on a drawing by Silvestre Israel. The pavilion was still under construction at the time the sheet was created. There is the unfinished right enfilade designed by the architect Jacques Lemercier, which has already been overgrown with shrubs.
Jean Marot meticulously executed all the ornamental decorations of the facade and made his own additions. He used allegorical sculptures to replace the window on the top floor of the pavilion passage. Stefano della Bella, who skilfully represented the court life of the Louvre, created small figures of people doing their daily things in front of the building.
Soldiers, elegant couples, children playing, men gambling in a circle, dogs chasing each other, and cats ready to fight – all are depicted here. Combining these elements adds an exceptional vibrancy to the work and draws the viewer's attention. The panoramic view of the Parisian suburbs unfolds behind the unfinished enfilade.
Inscriptions
At the bottom left, there is a stamp with the inscription: "ZBIORY RYCIN KONOPKOW". At the bottom right is the inscription "Israel excudit".
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery
