Royal Academy of Art Liotard Exhibition

Retrospective exhibition devoted to Liotard in London, Royal Academy of Art. From 24 October to 31 January.

Saturday – Thursday 10am – 6pm
Friday 10am – 10pm


Julie de Thellusson-Ployard, 1760.

Jean-Etienne Liotard was an artist in great demand across Enlightenment Europe and beyond. An eccentric and distinctive portraitist, his work conjures up the magnificence and cultural curiosity of the age in vividly lifelike detail.


Laura Tarsi, c. 1741.

Born at the beginning of the 18th century, this idiosyncratic Swiss artist was one of the most accomplished portraitists of his day. He travelled widely – from London to the Orient – applying his unflinching powers of observation to create beautifully crafted portraits, the majority in his signature pastels on parchment.


Archduchess Marie Antoinette of Austria, 1762.

At the peak of his powers, Liotard was commissioned to paint portraits of members of the British, French and Austrian royal families. A master of self-publicity, he was known as ‘the Turk’ — so-called for his adoption of Oriental costume following an extended voyage to the Near East, where he painted expatriate residents as well as scenes of everyday life in the Ottoman Empire.


Issac-Louis de Thellusson, 1760.

This is the first retrospective exhibition in the UK to be devoted to Liotard, bringing together over 70 rarely-seen works. Covering the artist’s time in Paris, Vienna, Geneva, Constantinople and London – where he exhibited work at the Royal Academy – this exhibition is a long-overdue celebration of an exceptional artist.


Self-portrait Laughing, c. 1770.

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/jean-etienne-liotard

Cette exposition a été très difficile à mettre sur pied en raison de la fragilité des oeuvres --> refus de prêts.

C'était mission impossible, comme pour Tom Cruise au cinéma. L'exposition Jean-Etienne Liotard (1702-1789) passait pour irréalisable, voire irréaliste. Genève s'y était jadis cassé le dents. Comment obtenir le prêt de pastels, si fragiles? Le moindre choc se révèle fatal à ces poudres de couleurs. Elles ne supportent même pas les trépidations. Lors de la création d'Orsay, ouvert en 1986, il avait fallu assurer les sols pour présenter les danseuses d'Edgar Degas (1834-1917). Le musée est situé au-dessus d'un métro RER...

Du coup ça a donné une expo inégale où manque certaines pièces maîtresses. Tout de même à voir à Londres jusqu'au 31 janvier.
http://www.bilan.ch/etienne-dumont/courants-dart/londresla-royal-academy-tente-limpossible-exposition-liotard

Annonce antérieure et renseignements complémentaires ici.
https://maria-antonia.forumactif.com/t6634-exposition-sur-le-peintre-liotard-a-la-royal-academy-of-arts-de-londres?highlight=liotard

Nous ajouterons un article intéressant sur la manière particulière de cet artiste.
http://blogs.lexpress.fr/london-by-art/2016/01/25/jean-etienne-liotard-mascarade-et-turquerie-au-service-du-realisme/

Bien à vous

madame antoine