Life and Works of Charles Meynier

Description

MAYER-MICHALON (Isabelle). Preface by Jean-Pierre Cuzin. Charles Meynier: 1763-1832. Artena. Deauville, 2008. Hardcover with illustrated dust jacket, gray cloth binding. Quarto format (33 x 25 cm), 448 pages with 520 illustrations including 103 in color. A faithful student and favorite of François-André Vincent, Meynier's official career began with the Prix de Rome in 1789 and continued under the Empire and Restoration with his submissions to the Salons and state commissions. Simultaneously, the artist collaborated with prominent private collectors of his time: Boyer-Fonfrède, Lucien Bonaparte, Marshal Berthier, and Count von Schönborn. A history painter, Charles Meynier is primarily a master draftsman, creator of themes, seeking rarely illustrated episodes from classical sources. His drawings reflect extensive knowledge, a profound study of Antiquity, and unusual literary insight, confirmed by the significance of his library and print collection. Very good copy.