Biography
The artist Theodor Zhriko lived a short life - only 33 years. Only a half decades were released on creativity, but for this period he managed so much how many other creators did not have time for 40. His death became a huge loss for art - he was the founder of revolutionary romanticism in painting and reflected in the canvases of all passions His century.Childhood and youth
Jean Louis Andre Theodore Zhriko was born in 1791 in Ruang, in the family of prosperous bourgeois, but most of his life spent in Paris. Father belonged to the Norman nobility and owned tobacco plantations in the southern part of the country, and the mother originated from the respected merchant. She died early, and George-Nicola Beliko had to fully take on the upbringing of the son. The young years of the future artist fell on the period of the Great French Revolution, but the rapid events of those years bypassed his parents side.
As a kiss of a noble family, Theodore had to get a decent education and to pass military service. He studied in the guesthouse and graduated from the imperial lyceum. The boy communicated a lot with uncle. Jean-Baptiste Karuel collected paintings by the Dutch and Flemish masters, often took the theodore in the museum and encouraged his passion for painting. He had a strong influence on the formation of tastes and the preferences of the artist - during the whole career Zhriko considered the work of Flemis reference and painful to the battle genre.
Painting
In those years, an ampir style was in fashion in France, but this direction with his height traits did not like theodore. In 1808, he began to learn from Karl's right, who was then considered a recognized master of battle scenes, and under the guidance of the teacher, created the first work on the military theme. From the early period of creativity, a variety of sketches and sketches with scenes of the battles and the image of the horses adorable by the artist are preserved.
Young Theodore shoved with her son Verne Oras. Together with the teacher and the other, he went to the Louvre, Circus Franconi, visited equestrian plants and playpen. In the workshop of Charles Zhriko spent 2 years, after which heero, one of the founders of the romantic direction in art, went into teaching to Pierre.
He put quite a bit of effort into the formation of his wards, but it was there that the letter of Letters Zhriko was finally formed. He was maintained with Herin and in the following years, often visited the guest, invited to look at his works. In addition, in his house theodore met Eugene Delacroa, which then became a close friend and the advice.
Soon Theodore felt ready for independent creativity. Since 1811-1812, 50 sketches have been preserved by naked nature, which first manifested the style of the master - an unexpected game of light and shadow, drama and tension, energetic letter manner.
In 1812, Zheriko presented a picture of the public "Portrait of Lieutenant M. D." ("Portrait of Diedonne"). Later, he was exhibited under a different name - "The officer of the horse hurrices of the Imperial Guard, going to the attack." On it, the artist portrayed a warrior in the midst of the battle: the white horse stood up on the piles, the character looks back, holding a naked saber in his hand. The picture became the result of intense labor: 20 sketches were preserved to it, and it is known that this is only a small part of attempts.
After the "officer ..." Theodore Zheriko became known in the professional environment. The success of the battle canvase pushed him into the creation of a series of paintings, but he was not interested in so much colorful parades and battle, how much the transfer of the spirit of time through the images of officers and soldiers. The works were not official orders, so Zheriko felt freely and was able to invest in them his vision. Obviously, they wrote down with concrete people, but Theodore tried to avoid exposure to individuality, seeking to transfer only common features.
New creations were presented in the cabin in 1814, after the defeat of Napoleon, and became a reminder of the outgoing era. At the exhibition, among other paintings, the authors of which chose neutral themes, his series looked not too profitable. The success of his debut work was not repeated - art historians either ignored the works of Zhriko, or responded about them in disapproving expressions. The most famous work of the series "The wounded Kirassir, leaving the battlefield" was criticized for heavy flavor, negligence and disharmoniousness.
After creative failure, the young artist decided to change his life, and a very unexpected way. Even the authors of official biographies cannot clarify what he was then guided in his actions. To the surprise of friends and loved ones, Theodore, before that, a self-confident military service, entered the Musketeer company. He happened to accompany to the border of Louis Xviii, who saved the flight during a hundred days, after which Zheriko himself had to move to Normandy, pretending to be a peasant. There, the artist remained until mid-1815 and returned to the work, starting to recycle the impressions of the new paintings.
Like many creators of that time, Zhriko wanted to visit Italy, who was considered a cradle of picturesque traditions. There was not enough money for the trip, but soon it turned up the opportunity to earn painting of the walls of the house in Ville-Kotra. He went to Italy hastily and in the tormented state of the Spirit, the cause of stead of trouble in their personal life.
The artist spent a year in another country, which later described as "sad and unfortunate." From a creative point of view, time passed productively: Zhriko visited the sights, wrote several landscapes, sketched the famous frescoes in Santa Maria Novella and got new friends and useful dating, but the thirst for something epic and large-scale remained unfulfilled.
From Italy, Theodore brought the idea of the painting "The raft" jellyfish ", dedicated to the tragic episode in the history of the French fleet - the death of the frigate from the Canary Islands. The artist approached the creation of his masterpiece: collected evidence, found and asked eyewitnesses, read the book about the event. At this time, he often visited the embankments to write the sky and the sea etudes, as well as hospital morgues, to better depict dead heads in the picture, and even created in the studio something like anatomical theater.
"The raft" Medusa "received contradictory assessments of the public and critics. On the one hand, it was an obviously a brilliant work, which accurately transmitted the drama of the situation. On the other hand, a number of art historians noted in the canvas the unnaturalness of poses, excessive patte and coldness of the paints.
In 1821 the artist went to England, where he settled in the family of Adam Elmor, a horse merchant. Under his influence, he returned to his beloved topic and wrote the work of "Racing in Epsoma", where he portrayed 4 riders against the background of the green of a cross-country field and gloomy thunder clouds. This is one of his few full-fledged time of time when Zhriko gave preference to engravings and watercolors.
The last years of the artist was marked by several portraits, clearly demonstrated its depressed state: "Ulivered, imagining himself with a commander", "crazy old woman." These portraits are considered the top of the French painting of the XIX century, but, besides the skill of execution, they affect the viewer with their drama and despair.
Personal life
About love hobbies of the artist knows a bit. He never married, and from his children he had only an extramarital son, the fruit of a short-term connection with his wife, Uncle, Alexandrina Modest Chayel. Roman did not bring Zherik happiness, on the contrary, spawned only a sense of deep shame and repentance.
The baby born had to go to the shelter, his mother hurriedly left Paris, and the artist in a sign of grief shared his head and locked in the workshop. When Theodore had a chance to leave to Italy, he rushed there in the search for spiritual peace, but a personal drama was worried before the end of days.
Death
The artist was only 33 years old, but his physical health was rapidly deteriorating. In addition to disease, the condition was aggravated by injuries obtained during the riding walks.
The reason for his death is definitely not known, on one of the versions, it was another fall from the horse - Zhriko got a strong blow to the temple. The master died in Paris on January 26, 1824. His works are stored in the museums of the Louvre and Rouen, there are several paintings in the Hermitage collection.
Paintings
- 1812 - "The officer of the horse hurrices of the Imperial Guard, going to the attack"
- 1817 - "Running free horses in Rome"
- 1817 - "Equestrian market"
- 1817 - "Slaves stopping the horse"
- 1817 - "Taming Bykov"
- 1814 - "Wounded Kirassir leaving the battlefield"
- 1818 - "Capped Heads"
- 1818-1819 - "Plem" Medusa "
- 1819 - "Crashing"
- 1819-1822 - "Portrait of Kleptana"
- 1820 - "shipwreck"
- 1821 - "Horse during a thunderstorm"
- 1821 - "Racing in Epsom"
- 1822-1823 - "Lime burning oven"
- 1823 - "Two postal horses"