Carle or Charles-André van Loo (; 15 February 1705 – 15 July 1765) was a French painter, son of the painter Louis-Abraham van Loo, a younger brother of Jean-Baptiste van Loo and grandson of

Jacob van Loo Jacob van Loo (1614 – 26 November 1670) was a painter of the Dutch Golden Age, chiefly active in Amsterdam and, after 1660, in Paris. Van Loo is known for his conversational groupings; particularly his mythological and biblical scenes generally ...

. He was the most famous member of a successful dynasty of painters of Dutch origin. His oeuvre includes every category: religion,

history painting History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and Bible ...

, mythology, portraiture, allegory, and

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 ...

scenes.

Life

He was born in

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

, then part of the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The du ...

. Van Loo followed his brother Jean-Baptiste to

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...

, and then to

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 ...

in 1712, where he studied under Benedetto Luti and the sculptor Pierre Le Gros. After leaving

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

in 1723, he worked 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. ...

, studied at the Académie Royale, where he gained first prize for drawing in 1723, and received the first prize for historical painting in 1727—as did his future rival

François Boucher François Boucher ( , ; ; 29 September 1703 – 30 May 1770) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher, who worked in the Rococo style. Boucher is known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories ...

. In 1724 he won the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

. After again visiting Turin in 1727, he was employed by king

Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia Victor Amadeus II (Vittorio Amedeo Francesco; 14 May 166631 October 1732) was Duke of Savoy from 1675 to 1730. He also held the titles of Prince of Piedmont, Duke of Montferrat, Marquis of Saluzzo and Count of Aosta, Moriana and Nice. Louis XIV ...

, for whom he painted a series of subjects illustrative of

Torquato Tasso Torquato Tasso ( , also , ; 11 March 154425 April 1595) was an Italian poet of the 16th century, known for his 1591 poem ''Gerusalemme liberata'' ( Jerusalem Delivered), in which he depicts a highly imaginative version of the combats between ...

. In 1734 he settled in Paris, and in 1735 became a member of the ''

Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture (; en, "Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture") was founded in 1648 in Paris, France. It was the premier art institution of France during the latter part of the Ancien Régime until it was abol ...

'' and rose rapidly in the hierarchy of the academy. Madame de Pompadour and the French court were taking the artist under their patronage. He was decorated with the

Order of Saint Michael , status = Abolished by decree of Louis XVI on 20 June 1790Reestablished by Louis XVIII on 16 November 1816Abolished in 1830 after the July RevolutionRecognised as a dynastic order of chivalry by the ICOC , founder = Louis XI of France , hi ...

and named First Painter to king

Louis XV of France 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 reached ...

in 1762. He was a most successful court painter but his portraits as well as history paintings also enjoyed an enormous success throughout all Europe. He died in Paris on 15 July 1765.

Work

By his simplicity of style and correctness of design, the result of his study of the great Italian masters, he did much to purify the modern French school; but the praise that was later lavished upon his productions now appears undue and excessive. His patrons included members of the court, the Gobelins factory, private individuals, and the church. In the ensuing centuries, Van Loo's critical fortune has plummeted, although his ability remains admirable, and the quality and variety of his work command respect. His '' Marriage of the Virgin'' is preserved in 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 ...

Paintings

File:Charles-André van Loo, Painting.jpg, ''Painting'', 1752-1753, Legion of Honor, San Francisco File:Charles-André van Loo, Architecture.jpg, ''Architecture'', 1752-1753, Legion of Honor, San Francisco File:Charles-André van Loo, Sculpture.jpg, ''Sculpture'', 1752-1753, Legion of Honor, San Francisco File:Charles-André van Loo, Music.jpg, ''Music'', 1752-1753, Legion of Honor, San Francisco File:Saint-André qui embrasse sa croix.jpg, ''Saint Andrew'' File:Portrait d'Innocente Guillemette de Rosnyvinen de Pire.JPG, ''Portrait of Innocente Guillemette de Rosnyvinen de Pire'', 1762 File:Charles André van Loo - Perseus and Andromeda - WGA13431.jpg, ''Perseus and Andromeda'' File:Carle Van Loo - Marie Leszczinska, reine de France (1703-1768) - Google Art Project.jpg, '' Marie Leczinska, Queen of France (1703-1768)'', 1747,

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

File:Van Loo, Carle. Louis XV, roi de France (1710-1774).jpg, ''

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 reached ...

'' (1710-1774) File:Charles André Van Loo - Madame de Pompadour en belle jardinière - v.1754-1755.jpg, ''La Marquise de Pompadour'', 1754-1755, Versailles,

Petit Trianon The Petit Trianon (; French for "small Trianon") is a Neoclassical style château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France. It was built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of King Louis XV of France. ...

File:Carle van Loo - The Three Graces, 1763.jpg, ''The Three Graces'', 1763 File:Portrait of William 1st Viscount Bateman.jpg, ''Portrait of William 1st Viscount Bateman'' File:Charles-André van Loo (attr) Mercury and Argus.jpg, ''Mercury and Argus'' File:The Victory of Alexander over Porus LACMA M.2000.179.13.jpg, ''The Victory of Alexander over Porus'' File:Theseus Taming the Bull of Marathon LACMA M.2000.179.15.jpg, ''Theseus Taming the Bull of Marathon'' File:Carle van Loo - Baccus et Ariane.jpg, ''Baccus et Ariane'' File:The Adoration of the Magi LACMA M.81.177.jpg, ''The Adoration of the Magi''

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loo, Charles-Andre van 1705 births 1765 deaths 18th-century French painters French male painters Orientalist painters Prix de Rome for painting Premiers peintres du Roi 18th-century French male artists