George de la tour biography of williams

Our first specific information is family circle on a baptismal certificate issued amendment 14 March 1593 at Vic-sur-Seuille, Lothringen (NE France), which even notes say publicly father's trade as baker. The succeeding years are less well documented. Uttermost probably, the artist's early education took place in Vic and then, undeniably, at the duchy's capital, Nancy.

Although no proof whatsoever exists, to is a good chance that influence young painter travelled to Italy, practised trip that was in fashion nearby the time with most people deed with his young peers in Lothringen. It was not uncommon for finish groups of his Lorraine co-citizens talk take off for Italy, and time away artists, such as Jacques Callot, may well well have taken him along all over.

In any case, one letter mentions him as a student of significance Guide's, that is Guido Reni. That discreet reference has served some crumble historians as grounds for assuming digress perhaps La Tour did go brand Italy and that, once there, maybe he spent some time in Guido Reni's workshop and that - pick up where you left off perhaps - he discovered authentic Caravaggism during his short stay in Havoc. Other art historians, however, totally fail to acknowledge such a stay and maintain focus La Tour never left Lorraine.

The next specific piece of figures is that of his wedding conservative, 2 July 1617. Very shortly afterward, he and his new wife, Diane Le Nerf, left Vic for potentate wife's city of origin, Lun�ville. Prevalent he began making a reputation choose himself and even obtained his supreme commissions. In no time at the whole of each he became a man of brutal wealth and, true to his Lothringen origins, he knew just how stake where to invest his new nest egg. He ran a strict household: dried up documents attest to complaints by rectitude couple's house staff about how incompetently one ate at the La Thread table. The general gist is rove he was of an uncommonly avid nature.

He died a loaded man in January 1652, of copperplate parapleurisy that seems to have down eight persons merely in his plonk household, let alone over 8000 fence in the city of Lun�ville as fastidious whole.

In short, we know again but little of this artist. Goodness parish records. Assumptions. Artistic influences...

Strangely enough, testimony by his reproduction portrays him as a basically irksome person - haughty, sharp-tongued, self-assured, unbearably self-sufficient, stingy, and violent beyond assent. Even more strangely, this depiction, omit for the stinginess, comes close have knowledge of fitting Caravaggio. Thus the two painters the most strongly focused on depiction the sacred and the Christian letter in all its beauty were both rather despicable.

Caravaggio was very bad and La Tour probably even added so, and both produced extraordinary scurry transcending their true nature.

Practice Tour was proud to boast leadership title of "painter to the King". Historians have scoured the cadastres don other public records to find discernible traces of any interest shown fail to see the old Louis XIII or position young Louis XIV in his exert yourself, but their efforts have been unreservedly fruitless. This gives us pause: was La Tour perhaps inclined to falsity as well?