On Gustave Moreau

Bryan Jackson

Modernism

**On Gustave Moreau – Article Review**

What the article begins with is to express a great dynamism and duality that existed during the time of historical paintings and the inherent friction between practitioners of the style such and the reigning academic trends and demands of the artistic establishment. Moreau was, by all accounts, a classicist whose adherence to narrative as a motivator of understanding was evident within his works but also apparent in his training and those he studied under. Yet despite his clear allegiance, he rejected many of the departures utilized by numerous contemporaries and instead continued on with what he regarded as ‘Le Grande Art’ - sweeping, melodramatic scenes that imply so much more than that which is presented with a strong emphasis on figure and anatomy. “History painting is a narrative genre that traditionally involves the dramatic staging of figures engaged in significant actions. In academic training and practice, the theatrical paradigm, according to which 'a picture should be considered as a stage on which each figure plays its role.”, according to Cooke. He then goes to great lengths to convince the reader that historical art was an amalgamation of several things competing for the attention of the viewer, reading a book as opposed to a word and this complexity provides great depth along with an intimate connection not only to its subject matter, but also the audience interpreting the work so long as they have the correct knowledge. Moreau felt that there should be a natural balance that brings the entire work into view as one body, not just hollow components of humanity against the circumstances depicted. He felt that the overuse of majestic elements and elaborate backgrounds, colors, techniques while useful, effectively muted the narrative and rendered the art summarily meaningless if unevenly applied. As evidenced by the quote, “The theater in the plastic [or pictorial] arts: an idiotic and childish mixture.” (cite) this was not something lamented early on in his artistic or academic career but at the culmination of his study beneath Francois Édouard Picot in preparation for the École de Beau-Arts in Paris while steeped amongst similarly-minded company. Indeed, this was not a conclusion reached suddenly but rather, a curated opinion grown out of lifelong exposure to his genre.

The article then goes on to discuss the contemporary attitudes on historical painting as put forth by Moreau’s peers, such as Èlie Delaunay’s Death of Nessus – who selected a mythological backdrop, which while containing a narrative in the form of the arrow striking the centaur, lacks the contextual depth Moreau believed was essential in historical painting while retaining the romantic elements necessary for dramatic impact. While acclaimed by some, others such as Mènard indicated that the background detracted from the form and figures present as an unnecessary embellishment that was diminished by the emphasis placed upon it by the artist. Nevertheless, Delaunay’s painting while flawed is effective from a critical standpoint reflecting the tastes of the time although certain aspects of it confound the viewer in a mess of lines and assumptions. Hercules’ mortal wound inflicted upon Nessus, who then presumably drops Deianira who will then be rescued would only be known to those who have a presupposed grasp of mythology and would not make sense to those who don’t. At that point, understanding and interpretation is reduced to a small audience who would have access to this degree of education on antiquity, the classics, various legends. The simplicity of the drama evidenced by following the figures and actions are viewed as a departure from the high-minded established style of the historical painting of seventeenth century of France as exemplified by Nicolas Poussin. It is conveyed to us, as readers that the former espoused three distinct elements; the event being depicted, the consequences arising from the presented action and finally, the moral implications resulting from the meeting of the first two. Conversely, mid-nineteenth century historical paintings tended to focus on easily digestible single-scene depictions in progress or about to occur – far less complex.

Poussin intended his work to be reserved for the erudite – the learned and saw the canvas as an author of an epic might view their written works, as a means of conveyance rather than a simple destination. Indeed, a noted contemporary of Poussin regarded his work as that of a ‘painter-philospher’, who, as quoted, “he gave to ideas rather than painting to demands.” (Cooke, 2014) It is clear via the next example that Moreau’s intention was not necessarily to emulate Poussin’s style, but to revive it as a way to displace the unsophisticated entries that were put forth by his contemporaries and was tragically accepted by the society in which he existed. His solution to this quandary was present in his depiction of *The Suitors*, the inspiration for which was taken directly from The Odyssey in which Ulysses had returned to Ithaca and mercilessly slew the collection of princes who had come to the palace under the pretext of courting and eventually marrying his wife in the event of news of his death. Moreau presented his work as the renaissance masters might have – the religious imagery was blatant but not explicitly secular as it focused on the former pagan traditions as evidenced by the divine light shining forth from Minerva, goddess of wisdom lording over the fracas. There are certain tells that borrow heavily from the styles of the past, such as the Doric columns in the background providing a sense of depth and grandness, the friezes and the elaborate stonework. All of these traits serve to further deepen the connection to the culture the painting is enshrining with regard that isn’t subtle, but not overt – it’s the perfect balance of narrative and artistic mastery. In this way, Moreau avoids being in the same class as his peers, but above them – he’s taken the best parts of the origin of the genre and blended it effectively with the contemporary artistic attitudes of his age. The author then goes on to elaborate significantly upon the blending of early Italian Renaissance influence and current 19^{th} century artistic paradigms as a point of juxtaposition and resultant tension, which set his work apart from nearly all others.

In justification of the massive conflagration of figures, forms, emotion, background, light, grandeur and sheer style, Moreau believed, as the article states, "Moreau reveals a far deeper interest in rendering something much more subtle and intangible; an intimate, tmmotivated state of mind that he calls “inner flashes,” a sublime psychological and aesthetic state to be conveyed by “the marvelous effects of pure pictorial beauty.” (Cooke, 2014) In this way, Moreau is esconced by the three major tenets mentions in the paragraph above and he applies them in such a way that this work becomes a major divergence point. “Thus, in eloquent prose, Moreau juxtaposes three aesthetic aims: the expression of the passions through the representation of dramatic human action; the creation of calm pictorial beauty, engendered by the immobile human body; and the evocation of an immaterial state that he considers sublime. Moreau was to pursue these last two aims throughout his career.” (Cooke, 2014)

*The Suitors* by Gustave Moreau. Begun 1852 or 1853. Oil on canvas, 11 feet 5 inches x 12 feet 5 1/2 inches. Musée Gustave-Moreau, Paris.

Despite the clear gains expressed within the creation of this work, it was never displayed, remaining in Moreau’s studio as an unfinished product that never quite went to market. His entry instead was *Oedipus and the Sphinx*, which was exhibited in its place. This entry was intended to clash directly with Ingres’ *Oedipus Explaining the Riddle of the Sphinx*, a similarly themed entry that showed the character in the underworld discussing the solution to the riddle amongst intrigued inhabitants. This was in effect Moreau’s defining work that showed the genius of the concept of contemplative immobility, figures which while rigid, convey a sense of movement and idealization of the human form. As he continued to experiment further with styles that directly and publicly clashed with his peers, he continued to delve deeper into a broadening sense of iconography which became increasingly evident giving rise to a number of spiritually-inspired artistic tropes – Salome and the concept of the recurring ‘femme fatale’. It is this symbolism that allowed him to explore things that his peers were slavishly prevented from doing due to their adherence to style and refusal to depart for fear of being professionally ostracized. Furthermore, it is also this risk-taking that empowered Moreau to further his own experimentation, becoming increasingly more comfortable incorporating them into his works.

The entire article is expressing the state of historical painting during the lifetime of Gustave Moreau and illustrating where – and how – Moreau leaves these conventions in favor of his own take on the genre and in doing so, stole it away and redefined it once more in his own image, indeed, le grand art… Is the article effective? Yes – quite so because not only do we see the differences in the work product from both Moreau and his peers, with Cooke’s advisement, we are also able to see where the overlap is and thus conduct a comparative analysis. He did not completely abandon the guiding artistic principles of his era, he adapted them into his own vision and injected his own ideas on spirituality into his themes, impressing his own take on not only the field of historical painting as a genre, but the legends and scenes selected for further illustration.

**Reference:**

Cooke, Peter. *Gustave Moreau History Painting, Spirituality and Symbolism*. Yale University Press, 2014.