View Of A City, Attributed To Jean Victor Bertin

"View of a city, animated landscape", attributed to Jean Victor BERTIN. Oil on panel monogrammed VB, Circa 1830 In a frame from the same period. Dimensions: 56 x 90 cm without frame. 76 x 108 cm with frame. Jean-Victor Bertin (1767-1842) is a French landscape painter of the neoclassical movement. Considered one of the masters of the school of historical landscape, he painted an abundant production inspired by Italy. Born March 20, 1767 in Paris, Jean-Victor Bertin was a pupil of Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes. He is the son of a master wigmaker (just like his master Valenciennes and his pupil Corot). In 1785, at the age of 18, he entered the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, as a pupil of Gabriel-François Doyen. In 1788 he was registered as a pupil of Valenciennes. (He will appear at the Salon as his pupil until 1840). Between 1785 and 1793, he took part in various emulation contests. From 1793, he exhibited regularly at the Salon until his death. He obtained a prize of encouragement in 1799 and his work was hailed by a 1st class gold medal in 1808. He was decorated with the Legion of Honor on August 21, 1822. He certainly made the traditional trip to Italy between 1806 and 1810. Most of his landscapes executed in the open air were recomposed in the studio according to the rules of classical design inherited from Poussin. Leader of the composite landscape, he is at the origin of the creation of the Prix de Rome for the historical landscape which he proposes from 1801 to the Academy, and of which his master Valenciennes will obtain the foundation in 1816. Number of laureates of this prize were students of Bertin, starting with Michallon, the first on the list to receive this high award. The reputation of Bertin's studio is such that it will be frequented by two generations of artists and that it has aroused most of the vocations of landscape painters during the first half of the 19th century. Among his many students, we can mention Boisselier, Buttura, Coignet, Corot, De Laberge, Enfantin, Fleury, Jolivard, Lanoue, Rémond, Ricahrd... Heir to the teaching of Valenciennes, he also transmitted it by publishing illustrated landscape courses of his lithographs: Landscape Studies (1823), Collection of Landscape Studies since 1816 and Collection of Tree Studies (1811-1821). He is one of the most talented representatives of the "adjusted" landscape of Italianate and elegiac character. With his master, he shares the characteristics that will be those of the School of historical landscape: the spreading out of the planes supported by skilfully distributed light. The palette is harmonious and favors a range of greens and blues. The foliage, often vaporous, is painted with a meticulous brush. This refinement in the execution results in a smooth and porcelain invoice. It plays the role of intermediary between the historical landscape and romanticism. Under the Empire and the Restoration, Bertin enjoyed a reputation which brought him a prestigious private clientele. His talent was appreciated by renowned amateurs, such as the Duke of Berry or the banker Jacques Laffitte. Several works were also commissioned from him for the Palais du Trianon and the Château de Fontainebleau between 1811 and 1817. From 1833, the State regularly bought works from him, in particular the Ministry of the Interior in order to enrich the museums of province. We find his works in the museums of Béziers, Fontainebleau, Dijon, Honfleur, Rennes, Versailles, Angers, Autun, Carpentras, Cherbourg, Coutances, Evreux, La Fère, Lille, Quimper, Nantes, Reims, Rouen, Toulouse. Bibliography: Dictionary of French landscape painters in the 19th century, Lydia Harambourg. Dictionary of the Little Masters of Painting 1820-1920, Gérald Schurr and Pierre Cabane. Benezit.