French School Of The 18th Century , Circle Of Charles François Grenier De Lacroix

French school of the 18th century

Circle of Charles François Grenier de Lacroix

(Marseille, 1700 - Berlin 1779)

Rocky landscape with tower and figures

Oil on canvas, cm 293 x 106,5

With frame, cm 304,5 x 120

Charles François Grenier de Lacroix, better known as Charles François Lacroix de Marseille, was an 18th-century French painter born in Marseilles around 1700 and died in Berlin between 1779 and 1782. His fame is mainly linked to its marinas and landscapes, often characterized by suggestive atmospheres and views of Mediterranean ports, which have made him an appreciated emulator and student of Joseph Vernet. Lacroix’s artistic training is not fully documented, but his first known works, two Italian Marines dated 1743, already show a clear influence of Vernet. His interest in Italy led him to stay in Rome in 1750 and then in 1754, where he continued to perfect his style, enriching his views with classical elements and ancient ruins, in a whim of real and imaginary architectural elements. During his stay in Italy, in 1757, he was in Naples, although it is attested that he returned to Rome in 1759. In 1780, he published an advertisement in Paris to welcome students into his studio, a sign of his willingness to pass on his art. Some of his paintings were engraved by artists such as Jean Jacques Le Veau and Noël Le Mire, contributing to the spread of his work and the great visual fortune of his production in an international context. In the last years of his life, Charles François Lacroix moved to Berlin, where he worked for the King of Prussia until his death in 1779. His works are now in numerous public collections, including fine art museums in Bordeaux, Dijon, Lille, Marseille and Rouen in France, and the Dallas Museum of Art in the USA, testifying to his lasting impact on the artistic landscape of his time