François-Anatole Gruyer (15 October 1825,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

- 27 October 1909,

Chantilly Chantilly may refer to: Places France *Chantilly, Oise, a city located in the Oise department **US Chantilly, a football club *Château de Chantilly, a historic château located in the town of Chantilly United States * Chantilly, Missou ...

) was a French

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

, and conservator at the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

Biography

He initially studied engineering at the

École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

, then physics and chemistry at the École d'Agronomie de Versailles. During a trip to Italy, he developed a deep interest in art, and began devoting himself to the study of painting. After several more visits to Rome and Florence, he published works on

Renaissance art Renaissance art (1350 – 1620 AD) is the painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of the period of European history known as the Renaissance, which emerged as a distinct style in Italy in about AD 1400, in parallel with developments which occ ...

, and would eventually become a recognized expert on

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

. He began a career in art administration in 1871, and was promoted to Inspector General in 1872. Three years later, he was elected to the

Académie des Beaux-Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

, where he took Seat #9 in the "Unattached" section. In 1881, he was named conservator of the at the Louvre, but resigned in 1886, following a serious disagreement with his superiors. In 1855, he had married Marie Prévost, granddaughter of a former Mayor of Chantilly. This connection resulted in an invitation from

Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale (16 January 1822 – 7 May 1897) was a leader of the Orleanists, a political faction in 19th-century France associated with constitutional monarchy. He was born in Paris, the fifth son of K ...

, to inspect and evaluate his collection. He also introduced the Duke to the architect,

Honoré Daumet Pierre Jérôme Honoré Daumet (23 October 1826, Paris – 12 December 1911, Paris) was a French architect. Biography Daumet was the winner of the Prix de Rome in 1855, and in 1861 conducted a treasure-hunting expedition to Macedonia at the reque ...

, who would assist with reconstructing the

Château de Chantilly The Château de Chantilly () is a historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Paris. The site comprises two attached buildings: the Petit Château built around 1560 for Anne de Montmor ...

. In 1889, the Duke would entrust him with writing a

catalogue raisonné A ''catalogue raisonné'' (or critical catalogue) is a comprehensive, annotated listing of all the known artworks by an artist either in a particular medium or all media. The works are described in such a way that they may be reliably identified ...

of the collection at what would later become the

Musée Condé The Musée Condé – in English, the Condé Museum – is a French museum located inside the Château de Chantilly in Chantilly, Oise, 40 km north of Paris. In 1897, Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of Louis Philippe I, bequeathed the c ...

. This occupied him to the extent that he resigned his seat at the Académie in 1890, and settled in Chantilly. Following the Duke's death in 1897, he was chosen to be curator of the new Musée, a position he held until his own death. During those years, he wrote and published numerous books and articles about his work there.

Sources

Justin de Selves Justin Germain Casimir de Selves (19 July 1848 in Toulouse – 12 January 1934 in Paris) was a French politician. He held an officer rank in the Franco-Prussian war. He was Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs from 1890 to 1896. He became ...

, "Notice sur la vie et les travaux de M. Anatole Gruyer", ''Institut de France'' (Académie des Beaux-Arts), 1910, n° 21, pp.1-17 * Jules Lermina (Ed.), ''Dictionnaire universel illustré biographique de la France contemporaine''. L. Boulanger, 1884
Online
@ Gallica)
Biographical timeline, references, and critical study
by Nicole Garnier-Pelle @ the Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gruyer, Francois-Anatole 1825 births 1909 deaths French art historians French curators Members of the Académie des beaux-arts People from Paris