Jacques-Louis DAVID (1748–1825). L.A., [Brussels 1822?], to - Lot 214

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  3. Jacques-Louis DAVID (1748–1825). L.A., [Brussels 1822?], to - Lot 214
  4. Lot n° 214 
Lot n° 214
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2500 - 3000 EUR
Jacques-Louis DAVID (1748–1825). L.A., [Brussels 1822?], to - Lot 214
Jacques-Louis DAVID (1748–1825). L.A., [Brussels 1822?], to Alexandre Abel de Pujol in Paris; 3 pages, in-8, addressed. A very fine letter offering advice to his former student. David assures his “dear Mr. Abel” of his friendship, dating back to his “tender youth,” and offers his opinion on his work: “Your style is grand, your lines are beautiful, and your compositions are ingenious”… He focuses particularly on the painting of Saint Roch Healing the Plague Victims [fresco for the Church of Saint-Sulpice]: “In general, for works of this kind—whether in oil and especially for frescoes—one needs simple and clear poses, so that the movements are visible from a distance and there is no doubt about their position; and to achieve this, imitate the methods of the great masters of art. Andrea del Sarto, with whom you are familiar, Fra Bartolomeo, etc., etc., provide examples of this in their works; they will advise you not to include too many episodes, not to fill the gaps that naturally occur in compositions with figures that, though interesting, detract from the overall effect, and indeed, the more interesting they are, the more they must be excluded, because they divert attention from the main subject; they will tell you a great truth: that in the arts or in literature, it is harder to take away than to add, and I would add that what may seem barren to our French eyes is precisely the key element that makes a masterpiece; we have a tendency to overdo it—we want to say too much, and that is why the connoisseur takes less pleasure in contemplating our work, because we leave him nothing to guess at for the sake of his own pride.” And he makes this recommendation: “When you have created figures that aim for the grandiose, do not diminish them with shrunken, bent limbs; instead, lengthen them according to the character you give your figure. For example, this woman climbing the steps to appear before St. Roch and ask for his favor—I would have preferred a beautiful extension of her limbs; both arms are too close to her body; I would have wanted at least one of them extended further forward.” He also criticizes “the young man helping this woman on the right side of the painting,” whose “right arm should have been extended,” even if it meant not showing his knee: “Let’s leave it to the art lovers to judge; they know their stuff, whatever people may say—they’re less demanding than we are, who burden our art with too many difficulties.” It is because he knows Abel’s modesty that he speaks to him this way: “With your well-deserved talent and your modesty, you will go far, and I will take pride in having understood your inclinations despite the wrong path you were led to take.” David is also grateful to “the minister who employs you; he has adopted an excellent system—that of providing work for the young artists of our country. I must cherish him since he came to my aid; the school is falling into ruin”…
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