Oreste Cortazzo (26 April 1836,

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

–1910,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...

) was an Italian-born French painter, graphic artist and illustrator.

Biography

His family originally came from Ceraso, in the

Province of Salerno The Province of Salerno ( it, Provincia di Salerno) is a province in the Campania region of Italy. __TOC__ Geography The largest towns in the province are: Salerno, the capital, which has a population of 131,950; Cava de' Tirreni, Battipagli ...

. Around 1848, he began an apprenticeship with his father, Michele (c.1808-1865), who was also a painter and a great admirer of

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...

. (Some of Michele's works may be seen at the

Palace of Caserta The Royal Palace of Caserta ( it, Reggia di Caserta ) is a former royal residence in Caserta, southern Italy, constructed by the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies as their main residence as kings of Naples. It is the largest palace erected in Euro ...

, near Naples.) In 1858, he met

Léon Bonnat Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Early life Bonnat was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 he lived in M ...

, who was studying in Rome. When Bonnat returned to Paris in 1860, Cortazzo decided to go with him; to take lessons and work in his studio. Having had a conservative education, he struggled to choose sides in the dispute between the

Academics 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, ...

and the

Impressionists Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating ...

. He initially earned his living doing portraits for a largely bourgeois clientele and producing

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

scenes on commission for

Goupil & Cie Goupil & Cie is an international auction house and merchant of contemporary art and collectibles. Jean-Baptiste Adophe Goupil founded Goupil & Cie in 1850. Goupil & Cie became a leading art dealership in 19th-century France, with its headquart ...

.Biographical notes
@ Stephen Ongpin Fine Art. He was, however, attracted by more "exotic" styles; especially

Japanese painting is one of the oldest and most highly refined of the Japanese visual arts, encompassing a wide variety of genres and styles. As with the history of Japanese arts in general, the long history of Japanese painting exhibits synthesis and competitio ...

. As a result, he created two works: "Japanese Fantasy" and "Japanese Woman", although they still displayed aspects of the Academic style. Some of his works also show the influence of photography.Clara Schiavone, "La pittura di Oreste Cortazzo", ''Annali Cilentani'', #11, 1995, pgs.21-37 From 1870 to 1885, he was a regular participant in showings at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

. He also exhibited at the

Exposition Universelle (1878) The third Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle in French, was held from 1 May to 10 November 1878. It celebrated the recovery of France after the 1870–71 Franco-Prussian War. Construction The buildings and the fairgroun ...

and the

International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry The International Exhibition of Science, Art and Industry was the first of 4 international exhibitions held in Glasgow, Scotland during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It took place at Kelvingrove Park between May and November 1888. Th ...

in Glasgow. After that, he derived inspiration from the English

Romantics Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

and produced numerous landscapes in that style. His works received honorable mention at the

Exposition Universelle (1889) The Exposition Universelle of 1889 () was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 5 May to 31 October 1889. It was the fourth of eight expositions held in the city between 1855 and 1937. It attracted more than thirty-two million visitors. The ...

. He also illustrated several works by Balzac, including the novels, ''

La Rabouilleuse ''La Rabouilleuse'' (''The Black Sheep'', or ''The Two Brothers'') is an 1842 novel by Honoré de Balzac, and is one of '' The Celibates'' in the series ''La Comédie humaine''. ''The Black Sheep'' is the title of the English translation by Donal ...

'', ''Le Député d'Arcis'', ''

Albert Savarus ''Albert Savarus'' is an 1842 novel by French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) and included in his series of novels (or ''Roman-fleuve'') known as '' La Comédie humaine'' (''The Human Comedy'') which parodies and depicts ...

'' and ''

Un début dans la vie ''Un début dans la vie'' (''A Start in Life'') is a novel by the French writer Honoré de Balzac. It is the sixth of the ''Scènes de la vie privée'' (''Scenes of Private Life'') in La Comédie humaine. The novel was serialized in the review ' ...

''; the novelette, ''Peines de cœur d'une chatte anglaise'' and the essays, ''Petites misères de la vie conjugale'', and ''Physiologie du mariage''. He was also one of several artists who provided drawings for a lavish edition of ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

''; published in London in 1890 by

Raphael Tuck & Sons Raphael Tuck & Sons was a business started by Raphael Tuck and his wife in Bishopsgate in the City of London in October 1866,Picture Postcards and Their Publishers, by Anthony Byatt, page 288 selling pictures and greeting cards, and eventually se ...

. Many of his paintings were acquired by Léon Bonnat and are currently at the Musée Bonnat-Helleu in

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine re ...

Selected paintings

File:Concert-Cortazzo.jpg, Concert in the Days of

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

File:Cortazzo-Bed.jpg, Bed Time File:Cortazzo - Michał Tyszkiewicz 1884.jpg, Michał Tyszkiewicz File:Opera-Cortazzo.jpg, A Corner at the Opera

References

External links

ArtNet: More works by Cortazzo.Review of the illustrated Romeo and Juliet
from ''Book News'', Vol.9, December 1890. {{DEFAULTSORT:Cortazzo, Oreste 1836 births 1910 deaths 19th-century Italian painters 19th-century French painters French genre painters French illustrators Italian emigrants to France Painters from Rome