French School; Charles François Lacroix Circle; 18th century

French School; Circle CHARLES FRANÇOIS LACROIX DE MARSEILLE (Marseille, 1700-Berlin, 1782), late 18th century.
"Landscapes."
Oil paintings on canvas.
They present restorations in the pictorial surface.
Measurements: 47 x 61,5 cm; 62 x 76,5 cm (frame).
Pair of landscapes wrapped in golden tones that contrast with the coldness of the blue, creating two images of pantheistic character. In both cases, a similar composition is presented. One of the most radical aspects of Romantic painting was the attempt to replace the large canvases with historical or religious themes with landscapes. They intended the pure landscape, almost without figures or totally devoid of them, to attain the heroic significance of history painting. They were based on the idea that human feeling and nature should be complementary, one reflected in the other. That is, the landscape should arouse emotion and transmit ideas. Thus, landscape painters like the author of this painting tried to express their feelings through the landscape, instead of imitating it. The romantic landscape had two main aspects: the dramatic, with turbulent and fantastic views, and the naturalistic, which emphasized images of a peaceful and serene nature, as in this case. It is this second conception that we see embodied in this work; the painter tries to communicate a religious reverence for the landscape, nature in its fullness, free from the industrial elements of modern life. In fact, the painter's own use of light here conveys a dreamy atmosphere, inviting the viewer to meditate and contemplate himself in the landscape.
The work follows the models of Charles François Grenier de Lacroix, known as Lacroix de Marseille, was a well-known painter of Italianate seascapes and landscapes. Although little information is available about his life, it is known that in 1754 he had already moved to Rome. He also visited Naples in 1757 and painted Vesuvius and the surrounding countryside. In Rome, Lacroix met Adrien Manglard (1695-1760), and his pupil Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), who would become the most important influence on his work. He participated in the Salon de la Correspondance in Paris in 1780 and 1782. Lacroix de Marseille's work is represented in the Toledo Museum of Art (Ohio), the Dijon Museum of Art and the National Museum of Stockholm.