Frédéric Bazille (December 6 1841 – November 28 1870) was not even suspected that it will be called one of the forerunners and even the founders of impressionism. This word - impressionism -
first performedat the exhibition in the Studio of the photographer Nadar four years after the death of a budding artist who was friends with Monet and Renoir. He lived only 28 years old.
The child of a prosperous Protestant family of wealthy winemaker from Montpellier, Frederick received a good education. Since childhood, he did not know what is needed, and in his short life did not know, in fact. At 18 years he entered the medical faculty. But most of all he loved Hiking in
Art Museum Fabre. A visiting neighbour admired the paintings
Delacroixand
Courbet. And definitely realized that calling it is not in the medical field.
From Montpellier to Paris, Basil sent it is not the basics of painting to comprehend, and to continue to study medicine. In medical school, he really came, only to parents, not to upset. And to delight in parallel enrolled in a picturesque workshop
Charles Gleyre. There are going to a great company! Today it is difficult to believe, but from four friends
Monet,
Renoir,
Sisleyand Basile – Basile not only suffered from lack of money. His parents supplied the funds to enable it in peace, without being distracted by worries about their daily bread, to learn medical wisdom. Frederick generously shared with friends and bread, and shelter, and money. Widely
knownthe story that he bought a Monet
picturealready for 2500 francs – huge for those times money. It today any gallery owner would have gnawed my own arm to make such a bargain, and then he just wanted to support a friend. The amount that he broke into components and paid monthly, at 50 francs, which helped to Claude Monet to stay afloat.
The character of Basilio, Emile Zola described as:
"A really beautiful young man, aristocratic, haughty, terrible in anger, but usually very good and cute". It is noteworthy that he at first really did not like Renoir. Gentility Frederick commoner Renoir was nasty, and he considered Basil an upstart who probably
"the Butler shoes razmeshivat". This did not prevent them, looking closely to each other, become friends.
In 1864 exams at the medical Academy he failed, that was quite a natural consequence of a more than cool attitude to learning. I had to admit to his parents that he has long been seriously very busy with other business. They were not thrilled, but resigned to his choice, allowances are not deprived, the house door is not closed. Quite well story short, not everyone is so lucky. Therefore, in the future, he boldly discussed with parents both hope and fear. Frederic Bazille took its first Studio in the Rue Furstenberg, 6th. Monet, Renoir, Sisley in different years enjoyed the hospitality of Basil, lived it and accepted other gifts from his bounty.
Basile liked to work EN plein air. A favorite story of his was a picture of a man on nature background. Of course, he was not an impressionist, nobody was an impressionist interest in light and colour, skilful work with a palette of bright, saturated with sunlight the paint is all present in his work. And he was a connoisseur not wet modulations of soft color, its element – bright, even harsh sunlight, it's not dawn and not sunset, sun, Basilio in the Meridian (
1,
2)
An innovator in the search form, sensitively to hear the current trends, in fact, he remained a traditional artist. It is not fleeting impressions, on the contrary, he himself said that he wants
"return every thing to its weight and volume, and not only to portray the appearance of things".
For the first time his works at the official Salon, he was sent in 1866. In a letter to parents he frankly told me that very excited, wants to have his paintings accepted, doubts it... Really, then took only
"Still life with fish". At Salon Basile sent their work annually, and generally accepted, but very, very selectively. For example, in 1870 the young artist was quite happy that it
"Bathers"not just accepted, but hang in a prominent place to attract attention.
"...but they say more bad than good" laughed the artist. But immensely happy that indifferent, his work leaves no one.
"From now on, no matter what I presented, I will not remain without attention"– so he thought. But in August he enlisted in a regiment of zouaves, and November 28, a week before his 29th birthday, died in battle, forever remaining a young artist. Art
Waldemar Januszczakin his film about impressionism says that, quite possibly, the most important and successful impressionist would be Basil. If not for the Franco-Prussian war.
Author: Alain Esaulova