The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture (; en, "Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture") was founded in 1648 in

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 ...

, France. It was the premier art institution of France during the latter part of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

until it was abolished in 1793 during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

. It included most of the important

painters Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

and

sculptors Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

, maintained almost total control of teaching and

exhibitions An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery An art gallery is a roo ...

, and afforded its members preference in royal commissions.

Founding

In the 1640s, France's artistic life was still based on the

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

system of

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

s like the

Académie de Saint-Luc The Académie de Saint-Luc was the guild of painters and sculptors set up in Paris in 1391, and dissolved in 1776.Alfred Fierro (1996). ''Histoire et Dictionnaire de Paris''. Paris: Robert Laffont. It was set up by the Provost of Paris in 1391, a ...

which had a tight grip on the professional lives of artists and

artisan An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art ...

s alike. Some artists had managed to get exemptions but these were based on favoritism rather than merit. A few "superior men" who were "real artists", suffered and felt humiliated under this system. In view of increasing pressure by the Parisian guilds for painters and sculptors to submit to their control, the young but already very successful painter

Charles Le Brun Charles Le Brun (baptised 24 February 1619 – 12 February 1690) was a French painter, physiognomist, art theorist, and a director of several art schools of his time. As court painter to Louis XIV, who declared him "the greatest French artist of ...

conceived a plan to free the true artists from the humiliating influence of mere artisans. He involved his two close friends, the brothers

Louis Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ( ...

and

Henri Testelin Henri Testelin (1616–1695) was a French painter and writer on art. Family Testelin was born in Paris as the son of Gilles Testelin, painter to king Louis XIII of France, Louis XIII. He was the younger brother of the painter Louis Testelin.Eu ...

, to lobby for an independent organisation where membership was based on merit alone, following the examples of the

Accademia delle Arti del Disegno The Accademia delle Arti del Disegno ("Academy of the Arts of Drawing") is an academy of artists in Florence, Italy. Founded as Accademia e Compagnia delle Arti del Disegno ("Academy and Company of the Arts of Drawing") on 13 January 1563 by ...

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

and the

Accademia di San Luca The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...

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 ...

. Soon, the

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the official r ...

Martin de Charmois and several more artists became involved and drafted a

petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offici ...

for the foundation of the Académie. Charmois assembled as many artists with royal

patronage Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

as he could to sign it, which a great number did. With the support of Le Brun's patron

Pierre Séguier Pierre Séguier (; 28 May 1588 – 28 January 1672) was a French statesman, chancellor of France from 1635. Biography Early years Séguier was born in Paris to a prominent legal family originating in Quercy. His grandfather, Pierre Séguier (150 ...

, Chancellor of France, Charmois presented the petition to the nine-year-old King

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

, his mother

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (french: Anne d'Autriche, italic=no, es, Ana María Mauricia, italic=no; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was an infanta of Spain who became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XIII from their marriage in 1615 unti ...

who acted as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

and the whole Royal Council on 20 January 1648 at the

Palais-Royal The Palais-Royal () is a former royal palace located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. The screened entrance court faces the Place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre. Originally called the Palais-Cardinal, it was built for Cardinal ...

. All present approved and the foundation of the Académie Royale was granted. The promoters immediately got to work and still in January 1648 formulated

statutes A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

with 13 articles (approved in February and published on 9 March 1648), a key element of which was a public art school. There were 22 founder members, who, in February 1648, elected 12 ''anciens'' (elders), who would be in charge of the academy in turn for a calendar month. These first ''anciens'' were the painters Charles Le Brun,

Charles Errard Charles Errard the Younger (; 1606–25 May 1689) was a French painter, architect and engraver, co-founder and later director of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. In 1666 Louis XIV's minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert sent him to fo ...

, François Perrier, Juste d' Egmont, Michel I Corneille, Henri Beaubrun,

Laurent de La Hyre Laurent de La Hyre (; 27 February 1606 – 28 December 1656) was a French Baroque painter, born in Paris. He was a leading exponent of the neoclassical style of Parisian Atticism. Life La Hyre was greatly influenced by the work of Italian ...

, Sebastien Bourdon,

Eustache Le Sueur Eustache Le Sueur or Lesueur (19 November 161730 April 1655) was a French artist and one of the founders of the French Academy of Painting. He is known primarily for his paintings of religious subjects. He was a leading exponent of the neoclas ...

and the sculptors Simon Guillain,

Jacques Sarazin Jacques Sarazin or Sarrazin (baptised 8 June 1592 in Noyon – died 3 December 1660 in Paris) was a French sculptor in the classical tradition of Baroque art. He was instrumental in the development of the Style Louis XIV through his own work ...

and Gerard van Opstal. Despite being a widely held belief, statements like "There were twelve founders" and "The ''anciens'', as the original members were called" are not correct. Charmois was elected ''Chef'' (Head) of the Académy as stated in article XIII of the statutes. With revised statutes from 24 December 1654 the offices of ''chancelier'' and of four ''recteurs'' were created, and the title ''ancien'' was abandoned in favour of the title ''professeur'' (with the exact same duties for a calendar month in turn).

Vice-protectorate of Jean-Baptiste Colbert

Following the death of the ''Protecteur'' of the Académie,

Cardinal Mazarin Cardinal Jules Mazarin (, also , , ; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino () or Mazarini, was an Italian cardinal, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Louis XIII and Louis X ...

, in 1661, the office reverted to his predecessor Chancellor Séguier. Later that year, Séguier named

Jean-Baptiste Colbert Jean-Baptiste Colbert (; 29 August 1619 – 6 September 1683) was a French statesman who served as First Minister of State from 1661 until his death in 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His lasting impact on the organization of the countr ...

King Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

's trusted minister, as ''Vice-protecteur''. Colbert took full strategic control and, working through

, ensured that the arts were devoted to the glorification of the King. A "royal style" was enforced which in practice meant a classical style.

Dominance of Charles Le Brun

The Académie experienced its greatest power during the involvement of

Brosnan 2016. who, from its beginnings in 1648 until his death in 1690 occupied many positions within the Académie. After being an original ''ancien'', in 1655 he was the first to be appointed chancellor of the Académie (from 1663 chancellor for life), he became rector from 1668 and director from 1683.Klingsöhr 1986, p. 556. Despite his short seven-year reign as director, Le Brun controlled a majority of decisions within the Académie. In February 1675 he ordered that no decision would be validated in the academy without his approval. Le Brun's involvement in the Académie and his position of first painter to the king, allowed him to dictate all painting, sculpture, and tapestry expectations. Specifically, for projects such as the ''Grande Galerie du Louvre'', Académie artists found themselves carrying out designs originated by Le Brun. In addition, Le Brun admitted more members into the Académie than ever before. Between 1664 and 1683 107 artists became members of the Académie. In comparison, 89 artists were admitted between 1707 and 1720, and the 57 admitted in 1735–54. Under Le Brun's influence the Académie became more accessible than ever before. Le Brun's relationship with the Royal court allowed him the position of director after the death of Colbert in 1683. While still extremely influential, Le Brun began to lose power due to the rise of

Pierre Mignard Pierre Mignard or Pierre Mignard I (17 November 1612 – 30 May 1695), called "Mignard le Romain" to distinguish him from his brother Nicolas Mignard, was a French painter known for his religious and mythological scenes and portraits. He was ...

, in the years before his death in 1690.

Suspension

On August 8, 1793, the Académie was suspended by the

revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...

, when the latter decreed the abolition of "toutes les académies et sociétés littéraires patentées ou dotées par la Nation".

Later history

It was later revived as the Académie de Peinture et de Sculpture. The Académie is also responsible for the Académie de France in the

villa Médicis The Villa Medici () is a Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici ...

in Rome (founded in 1666) which allows promising artists to study in Rome. In 1816, it was merged with the Académie de Musique (Academy of Music, founded in 1669) and the

Académie d'Architecture The Académie d'Architecture () is a French learned society whose purpose is the recognition of architectural quality. Founded in 1840 as the Société Centrale des Architectes (; en, "Central Society of Architects"), the society was renamed Ac ...

(Academy of Architecture, founded in 1671), to form 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, ...

, one of the five academies of the

Institut de France The (; ) is a French learned society, grouping five , including the Académie Française. It was established in 1795 at the direction of the National Convention. Located on the Quai de Conti in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, the institute m ...

Documentation

Mémoires

The history of the early Académie royale is given in great detail by a contemporary who was involved in its foundation. The 17th century

manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printing, printed or repr ...

containing the account was published in 1853 by the 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 ...

Anatole de Montaiglon Anatole de Courde de Montaiglon (28 November 1824 – 1 September 1895) was a 19th-century French librarian and art historian. Biography In 1850, De Montaignon graduated as an archivist and palaeographer from the École des chartes, with a the ...

as Montaiglon has identified the anonymous author as

, the academy's secretary from 1650 to 1681, but different names have been suggested by others.

Procès-verbaux

In addition to the ''Mémoires'' Montaiglon also published the minutes of the academy in ten volumes from 1875 to 1892:

Conférences

From 2006 to 2015, a critical edition of the ''Conférences'' held at the Académie royale was published by Jacqueline Lichtenstein and Christian Michel as a collaborative Project of the German Center for Art History, the

and the

École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts The Beaux-Arts de Paris is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level arts education and training. This is classical and historical School of Fine Arts in France. The art school, which is part of the Paris Science ...

in ParisThomas Kirchner
Conférences: Préface de l’édition en ligne des Conférences de l’Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture
and made available online:

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Brosnan, Kelsey (2016). "Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France". ''Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide'', , no. 3 (16 October). . * Burchard, Wolf (2016). ''The Sovereign Artist: Charles Le Brun and the Image of Louis XIV''. London: Paul Holberton Publishing. . * *
Vol. 1
an
2
at Internet Archive
Vol. 1
an
2
at Gallica.) * Janson, H.W. (1995). ''History of Art'', 5th edition, revised and expanded by Anthony F. Janson. London: Thames & Hudson. . * Klingsöhr, Cathrin (1986). "Die Kunstsammlung der "Academie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture" in Paris". ''Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte'',, no. 4, . . * Landois, Paul (2003)
"Academy of Painting"
''The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project''. Translated by Reed Benhamou. Ann Arbor: Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library. Originally published in 1751 as "Académie de Peinture," ''Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers'', , . Paris. * Michel, Christian (2018). ''The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture: The Birth of the French School, 1648–1793'', translated from French by Chris Miller. Los Angeles: Getty Research Institute. . * *

External links

* Issues o
''L'Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture''
online in Gallica, the digital library of the BnF. {{ACArt