Some of the "Académistes"—to use

Some of the "Académistes"—to use the old French expression—won real celebrity, but few there were who achieved lasting glory. In the reign of Louis XIV, the woman artist whose reputation shone with the clearest lustre was Elisabeth Sophie Chéron, who excelled in all the arts—for she was a clever painter, a consummate musician, a poet of merit and femme d'esprit into the bargain. Following the general rule she belonged to one of the numerous artist families. Daughter of a painter (Louis Chéron),abstract oil painting, she was also sister of a painter. This latter,who was her junior, had talent, but not to the extent of the elder. Élisabeth Sophie Chéron was of Huguenot family, as was frequently the case among the Academicians, although, from what absurd prejudice I know not, the réformés were regarded as less artistic than other folk. But in 1668,—she was twenty then—terrified no doubt by the ever-increasing persecution of the Protestants—a persecution which was soon to result in the Edict of Nantes—she, like her sister, abjured her faith, whereas her brother, remaining true to the family faith, was forced to take refuge in London, where he died. art oil paintings for sale

Several Académiciens of the reformed religion were excluded, or obliged to submit to the Catholic religion.

Sophie translated into French the Psalms of David, which her brother illustrated admirably, and she has left at least one important engraved work, but above all, she has left a number of portraits of well-known people of her time, portraits that the sitters made her copy four and even five times. cheap oil paintings for sale

Among other "Académistes," interesting if not so well known, was that sister of the "Visitandine" order, Anne Marie Trésor, who decorated with religious subjects the church of the monastery of the "Dames de Ste. Marie de Chaillot." She was received by the Academy in 1676, and the choice of the Academy showed, as its accepted members were of such different views, that the body was after all somewhat broad in character. Another proof of this liberal spirit is to be found in the fact that the Academy received foreign artists within its body. There were three of them; the first was Mlle. Haverman, of Dutch origin,where to buy oil paintings, who was, however, excluded shortly after her election—she attempted to justify her election by sending in a painting which was not her own, but the work of her master, Van Huysum. The second foreign "Académiste" was specially illustrious and worthy of the honour conferred on her. She was Rosalba Carriera, a Venetian, a woman who was really original, and whose reputation has lived through the centuries, but about whom, in this chapter devoted to France, I must not speak at length. The last of the three was Mme. Terbouche, or, more exactly, Therbousch, who, although born in 1728 at Berlin, was numbered by our old museum catalogues in the ranks of the French School. oil paintings wholesale