circumstances that
What caused the official painter of the Napoleonic victories to take his own life: Antoine-Jean Gros
In June 1835, a man’s body was fished out of the river Seine in the vicinity of the town of MEUDON. The investigation established the identity and circumstances that led to this sad incident. The deceased turned out to be the artist Antoine-Jean Gros, the official painter of Napoleon I. after Surviving his main customer and employer for fourteen years, Gros took his own life – when he realized that he had changed the cause of his life.
At the time of his death, he was 64 years old. The life of Antoine-Jean Gros fell on a dramatic and difficult time for France. Continue reading
Why the British monarch’s court artist painted only by candlelight: Samuel Cooper
Samuel Cooper is an English artist and the best miniature master of his time, who became famous not only for his worthy court service to king Charles II, but also for his unusual technique. Samuel Cooper used it… a candle for writing your paintings.
About the artist
There is not much biographical information about the artist, but it is known that Samuel Cooper (1609 -1672) was trained by his uncle, the miniaturist John Hoskins the Elder.He was a talented man: in addition to his artistic skills, Cooper was an excellent musician, played the lute well, and was also reputed to be a good linguist, speaking fluent French. Continue reading
