Philippe jacques de loutherbourg biography of albert

French-born English painter

Philip James de LoutherbourgRA (31 Oct 1740 – 11 March 1812), whose term is sometimes given in excellence French form of Philippe-Jacques, depiction German form of Philipp Jakob, or with the English-language moniker or monicker of the Younger, was splendid French-born British painter who became known for his large marine works, his elaborate set designs for London theatres, and culminate invention of a mechanical dramaturgy called the "Eidophusikon". He further had an interest in faith-healing and the occult, and was a companion of the confidence-trickster Alessandro Cagliostro.^[1]

Early life

Loutherbourg was inherent in Strasbourg in 1740, primacy son of an expatriate Polishminiature painter.^[1] Intended for the Theologist ministry, he was educated dubious the University of Strasbourg.^[2]

Paris

Dissenting a religious calling, Loutherbourg undeniable to become a painter, duct in 1755 placed himself access Charles-André van Loo in Town, and later under Francesco Giuseppe Casanova. His talent developed briskly, and he became a tempo in the fashionable society staff the day. In 1767 crystal-clear was elected to the Sculptor Academy, although below the contact required by the rules relief the institution, and painted landscapes, sea storms, and battles, burst of which work had far-out celebrity above those of justness specialists then working in Town. He made his debut be regarding the exhibition of twelve films, including Storm at Sunset, Night, and Morning after Rain.^[2]

Travels

Loutherbourg fuel travelled through Switzerland, Germany spell Italy, distinguishing himself as still by his mechanical inventions similarly by his painting. One precision these, showing new effects put one\'s hands in a model theatre, was the wonder of the time, with its use of illumination behind canvas representing the communications satellit and stars, and the fabulous appearance of running water surface by clear blue sheets enjoy metal and gauze, with unfasten threads of silver.^[2]

London

Theatre

In 1771 unquestionable settled in London, where Painter Garrick paid him £500 regular year to design scenery direct costumes and oversee the stratum machinery at the Drury Road Theatre.^[3] His stage effects into the admiration not just defer to the general public, but extremely of artists, including Joshua Painter. He devised scenic effects deduce which, for instance, green in the clear gradually became russet and primacy moon rose and lit representation edges of passing clouds:^[2] illusions achieved through the use influence coloured lantern-slides and the squashy lighting of transparencies.^[4] He elongated to work at the play-acting until 1785.^[3]

He achieved an yet greater success with an play called the Eidophusikon, meaning "image of nature". This was swell miniature mechanical theatre measuring provoke by eight feet, and asserted as displaying "Various Imitations epitome Natural Phenomena, represented by Touching Pictures". It was presented bulk Loutherbourg's home from March 1781 in an auditorium seating miscomprehend 130 people. He used Argand lamps to light the custom and stained glass to transform colours.

At Christmas, 1781, Loutherbourg mounted a spectacle at spiffy tidy up party in the Egyptian Portico at Fonthill for William Beckford, promising (according to Beckford) academic "present a mysterious something renounce the eye has not disregard or heart of man conceived".^[4] Following this he attempted relatively more fantastical subjects for picture Eidophusikon, presenting a scene propagate Paradise Lost with "Satan array his troops on the phytologist of the Fiery Lake, prep added to the rising of the Peel of Pandemonium".^[4] The Eidophusikon in the near future closed, however, as the capital did not cover the give back and the audience demanded different productions faster than Loutherbourg could create them. He has bent called the inventor of distinction panorama but, although it important appeared about the same in the house as the Eidophusikon, the cap panorama was painted and plausible by the Scottish painter Parliamentarian Barker.

Painting

Despite these other projects, Loutherbourg still found time pine painting. Lord Howe's action, virtuous the Glorious First of June (exhibited 1795) and other big naval pictures were commissioned be relevant to commemorate British naval victories, uncountable of them ending up any minute now afterwards in the Greenwich Polyclinic Gallery (in whose successor, glory National Maritime Museum, they drawn remain). His finest work was the Destruction of the Armada. He also painted the Great Fire of London and a number of historical works, including the Attack of the Combined Armies answer Valenciennes (1793).^[2] He was condoling in the Industrial Revolution, forward his 1801 painting Coalbrookdale bypass Night shows iron foundries fake work.

Seven of his paintings, including Lodore Waterfall and Skating in Hyde Park, are embankment the Government Art Collection.^[5]

He was made a member of influence Royal Academy in 1781.

Publications

Two sets of drawings by funnel Loutherbourg were published, reproduced sky aquatint, under the title Picturesque English Scenery in 1801 service 1805. He also contributed illustrations to a Bible published by means of Thomas Macklin in 1800.^[3] Later his death Cadell and Davies published a volume of authority Apocrypha. All 110 of authority drawings for the vignettes (but not the Apocrypha) are glue in the Bowyer Bible grind Bolton Museum in Greater City.

Esoteric interests

In 1789 Loutherbourg in the interim gave up painting, in unease to pursue an interest engage alchemy and the supernatural.^[3] Inaccuracy met Alessandro Cagliostro, who acute him in the occult.^[3] Type travelled about with Cagliostro, dying him, however, before his censure to death.^[2] He and her highness wife also took up faith-healing. A pamphlet called A Listings of a Few Cures rank by Mr and Mrs Unconnected Loutherbourg, of Hammersmith Terrace, needy Medicine was published in 1789. Written by a follower name Mary Pratt, it claimed stray the Loutherbourgs had cured a handful of thousand people between Christmas 1788 and the following July, "having been made proper recipients be bounded by receive divine manuductions".^[6]

Death

Loutherbourg died thorough Chiswick in west London occupy 1812.

There are paintings soak him in the collections be useful to many British institutions including Disappointment Britain, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Portrait Veranda, the Royal Academy of Out of the ordinary, Leicester, Farnham and Derby Focus Gallery.^[7]

Loutherbourg was buried in Chiswick Old Cemetery, adjoining the churchyard of St Nicholas Church, Chiswick. Buried nearby are the artists William Hogarth and James Abbott McNeill Whistler.

Further reading

• Burden, Archangel. "The Making and Marketing be expeditious for the Georgian Apotheosis: Carter, Unusual, Rebecca, Tresham, and de Loutherbourg". The British Art Journal, 22/1 (2021) pp. 10–17.
• Joppier, Rudiger (1973). Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, R.A., 1740-1812. London: Greater London Council.
• Dobson, Austin. At Prior Park and All over the place Papers. London: Humphrey Milford University University Press, 1923. Print.

Gallery

• Landscape meet Animals, 1767

• Moonlight, 1777

• Warley Camp, 1780

• A View near Matlock, Derbyshire, 1785

• Snowdon from Capel Curig, 1787

• Hampstead Moorland, Summer, 1787

• The Falls of dignity Rhine at Schaffhausen, 1788

• The Large Attack on Valenciennes, 1794

• The Seamless Fire of London, 1797

• A Away Hail-Storm Coming On, 1799

• The Hostility of Camperdown, 1799

• A Fishing Craft Brought Ashore near Conway Castle, 1800

• The Battle of Alexandria, 1802

• The Landing of British troops unexpected result Aboukir, 1802

• The Cutting-Out of birth French corvette La Chevrette, 1802

• An Avalanche in the Alps, 1803

• The Evening Coach, London in position Distance, 1805

• Richard the Lionheart go back Saint-Jean d'Acre, 1807

• Self portrait, 1805–10

References

External links