NOTICE

OF

JACQUES STELLA.

Jacques Stella was born at Lyon in 1596. At nine years old he lost his father, and had no other master, nor frequented any school whatever till the age of twenty, when he set out for Italy. Arrived at Florence, the grand Duke employed him, allowing the same emolument to him as to Callot. After having lived 7 years in that town, Stella went to Rome, where he arrived in 1623 appearing there with a great reputation he got intimately acquainted with Nicolas Poussin, but he had neither the soul nor the sentiment which distinguish this painter, the honor of his school.

Being come back to France, Stella received a pension from the King with the order of Saint Michel; he was the first who drew the portrait of Louis XIV at that time Dauphin.

He died at Paris in 1657, aged 61, and was buried in the church of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois.

NOTICE

SUR

MOÏSE VALENTIN.

Moïse Valentin naquit à Coulommiers en 1600. Étant allé fort jeune à Rome, il y reçut peut-être bien quelques conseils de Simon Vouet, et fit aussi connaissance avec Nicolas Poussin; mais il étudia surtout Michel-Ange Amerigi, dont il chercha à imiter la vigueur du ton et le chaux coloris. Comme ce maître il consultait la nature, mais pas plus que lui, il ne pensa à la choisir. Son dessin ne fut jamais élégant, quelquefois même il est incorrect.

La plupart des compositions de Valentin sont en demifigures, et représentent des scènes de joueurs, de soldats et de Bohémiens. Ce peintre fut protégé par le cardinal Barberini, qui lui fit obtenir un tableau pour l'église de Saint-Pierre de Rome, le martyre de saint Processe, et de saint Martinien:ce tableau est son chef-d'œuvre.

Valentin, ayant chaud, crut pouvoir sans inconvénient se laver les pieds dans la fontaine del Babocino à Rome, mais peu de jours après il mourut d'une pleurésie, au mois d'août 1634, à l'âge de 34 ans. Il fut enterré avec solennité dans l'église de la Madonna del Popolo.

OF

MOISE VALENTIN.

Moïse Valentin was born at Coulommiers, in 1600. Having in his youth gone to Rome, he perhaps had there the counsel of Simon Vouet, and got also acquainted with Nicolas Poussin; but above all, he studied Michel-Ange Amerigi, whose vigorous tint and lively coloring he endeavoured to imitate; as this artist he consulted nature, but did not more than he think of choosing it; his drawing was never elegant, and even sometimes not correct.

Most of the compositions of Valentin are half-figures, and represent scenes of players, soldiers and gipsies. This painter was protected by Cardinal Barberini, who caused him to obtain a picture for St.-Pierre's church at Rome, the MartyrDom of St.-Processe; and St.-Martinien this picture is his master-piece.

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Valentin, being one day very warm, thought there was no danger in washing his feet in the fountain del Babocino at Rome, but he died of a pleurisy a few days after, in the month of August 1634, 34 years old. He was buried with solemnity in the church of the Madonna del Popola.

SUR

CLAUDE-JOSEPH VERNET.

Claude-Joseph Vernet naquit à Avignon en 1714. Élève de son père Antoine Vernet, peintre peu connu, il fut employé d'abord à peindre des panneaux de voitures; cependant son talent devait bientôt prendre un autre essor, et dès l'âge de dix-huit ans il partit pour l'Italie, avec l'intention de se perfectionner dans la peinture historique ; mais le spectacle de la mer, la vue des vaisseaux, la manœuvre du gréement, l'aspect imposant du ciel planant sur les eaux, donnèrent une nouvelle direction à son talent. Il arriva à Rome peintre de marines, et entra dans l'atelier de Bernardin Fergioni.

Vernet acquit une célébrité'telle, que bientôt il fut regardé comme l'émule de Claude Lorrain et de Backhuysen. Ses ouvrages furent très-recherchés à cause de la vérité avec laquelle il rendait la nature, sans s'astreindre pourtant à la copier.

Après un séjour de vingt-deux ans en Italie et en Grèce, Vernet fut rappelé en France par Louis XV, pour peindre la suite des ports de France. Il sut rendre ses vues piquantes et pittoresques, sans s'éloigner de la vérité et de la précision des sites. L'académie n'attendait que son retour pour le mettre sur sa liste, où il se trouva placé en 1753.

Joseph Vernet travailla jusqu'aux derniers instans de sa vie, sans que son corps, son esprit et sa gaieté parussent éprouver les atteintes de la vieillesse. Il eut l'avantage de voir les premiers succès de son fils Carle, dans la peinture historique, et c'est lui qui le reçut à l'académie royale en 1787; mais il ne put deviner que son nom acquerrait un nouvel éclat, par le talent de son petit-fils Horace.

Claude-Joseph Vernet mourut à Paris le 3 décembre 1789 à l'âge de soixante-quinze ans.

OF

CLAUDE JOSEPH VERNET.

Claude Joseph Vernet was born at Avignon in 1714. A pupil to his father Antoine Vernet, a painter but little known, he was at first employed in painting pannels for carriages; however his talent was going very soon to take a higher flight, and at eighteen he set out for Italy in order to perfect himself in historical painting; but the magnificent view of the sea, the sight of many ships, the tackling of their sails, the noble imposing prospect of the skies reflecting over the waters, gave a new direction to his talent. He arrived at Rome as a naval painter, and got into the painting-school of Bernardin Fergioni.

Vernet acquired such a great celebrity that he was very soon looked upon as the rival of Claude Lorrain and Backhuysen. His works were greatly sought after, an account of the true manner he describes nature, without however stinting merely to the copying it.

Having lived twenty two years in Italy and Greece, Vernet was recalled to France by Louis XV to paint the rest of the sea-ports in that kingdom. He rendered his vistas in a most alluring and picturesque manner, always keeping true to his matter in the lively exactness of his situations. The Academy waited only his return to place him on its list, which was done in 1753.

Joseph Vernet worked to the very last moment of his life ; his body, spirit and cheerfulness appearing not to have experienced the least signs of old age. He enjoyed the happiness of seeing the first success of his son Carle in historical painting, and it is likewise he who received him at the Royal Academy, in 1787; but he could not guess that his name would receive a new splendor from the brilliant talent of his grandson Horace.

Claude Joseph Vernet died at Paris on the 3rd, of December 1789, aged 75 years.