Trompe-L'œil in Grisaille Depicting Goddess Athena, Late 18th Century

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Trompe-L'œil in Grisaille Depicting Goddess Athena, Late 18th Century

About the Item

Attributed to Piat Joseph Sauvage (1744-1818). Trompe-l'œil in grisaille depicting Athena. Oil on canvas (19th century frame), late 18th-early 19th century. Measures: D 61 cm with frame. D 54 cm without frame. Biography: Piat Joseph Sauvage, (Tournai 1744–Tournai 1818), Painter. Piat Joseph Sauvage (1744-1818) was a Flemish painter who enjoyed in France a great success, specializing in trompe-l'œil and grisaille paintings. He became a member of the Académie Royale in 1783. Our work is an archetypal example of Netherlandish decorative paintings, which developed at the end of the 18th century under the influence of both the French Rococo and neoclassical style. This painting in medallion was probably used as an overdoor decoration. Our piece represents goddess Athena, crowned with an olive tree garland. Indeed, in the Ancient Greece mythology, Poseidon, God of the seas and Zeus' brother, coveted earthly kingdoms and so claimed the possession of Attica, driving his trident into the Athenian Acropolis which became a well of salt water. Later, Athena came to town and took it in a very peaceful way calling Cecrops, first King of Athens, as a witness. Athena made an olive tree spring from just next to the well. Poseidon, in anger, challenged the goddess, but Zeus intervened and ordered the formation of a divine tribunal to decide which of the two Gods should be enshrined in the city. Thus, the tribunal formed by the Olympic deities, after listening to the testimony of Cecrops decided to side with Athena. It was determined that it was she who had the right to own the land because she had given the city the greatest gift: the first olive tree. Thenceforth, the city adopted the name of Athens and the olive tree planted by Athena was revered for centuries in the Acropolis symbolizing the victory. Moreover, it’s noteworthy to point out the fact that Piat's father, Antoine, was a glass cutter. Piat worked in his father's factory until the age of 17, when he completed his technical schooling in drawing. He went on to improve his artistic education at the Antwerp Academy under the direction of Martin Joseph Geeraerts, an expert in grisaille and historic paintings. He worked for a time in Brussels under the rule of the Habsburgs. He then joined the Saint Luc Academy in Paris, and in 1774 made nine paintings including the grisaille bas-relief La Mort de Germanicus (Germanicus death). Sauvage was then accepted into the Royal Academy in Paris after he produced a well-known painting of a round table with an embroidered cloth on which stands a statue of a child, a helmet, books, a violin, and other items. This canvas is at the Palace of Fontainebleau which also has other dessus-de-porte decorative works by this artist. As his fame gathered momentum, he was chosen as the official painter of the Prince de Condé, and then by Louis XVI and the Royal Family. During this period, he painted Marie-Antoinette and produced paintings for the chapel of Saint-Cloud among other works. His appointment as royal artist did not keep him from joining the popular side of the French Revolution. His painting surprisingly did not slow down during this period of political upheaval. From 1804-1807, he painted porcelain figurines for the famous Sèvres porcelain factory. In 1808 he returned to Tournai to become the director of the Academy of Drawing. Until 1817, he succeeded in this role while famous artists such as Antoine Payen studied there. He also painted the Sept Sacrements, or Seven Sacraments, in the choir of the Tournai cathedral in order to replace the superb tapestries stolen by the Jacobins during the revolution. Louis Désiré Joseph Donvé ( - ), Portrait of Piat Joseph-Sauvage (detail), 1886. Oil on canvas. Collection: Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille.+

Attributed to:
Piat Joseph Sauvage 1 (Painter)
Dimensions:
Height: 21.26 in (54 cm)Diameter: 21.26 in (54 cm)
Style:
Greek Revival (In the Style Of)
Place of Origin:
Belgium
Period:
1790-1799
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1800
Condition:
Recent restoration for the oil on canvas Frame in state : each accidents to restore.
Seller Location:
Saint-Ouen, FR
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU200734941963