Neoclassical legends and allegories
The paintings shown here do not comply with our usual expectations of neoclassicism. There are no frieze compositions, peopled in the half-light by Republican heroes. These four works painted between the late 18th century and the early 19th century in Paris, Languedoc and Rome depict either religious or allegorical subjects, or sometimes a combination of both (Sequeira). The Christ among the doctors is a sketch for the cathedral painting in Perpignan by the future revolutionary Jacques Gamelin, a Carcassonne-born painter who trained in Toulouse, where several of his works have been kept The Conversion of Saint Paul in the Musée des Augustins. Joseph interpreting the dreams, attributed to a painter who is still practically unknown, Parizeau, is a fine example of history painting of the second half of the 18th century, precious and showing great clarity.
Cupid and Hymen by Regnault, once considered the equal of David, is one of the jewels in the Changeux collection. This little painting on wood appeals to the pleasures of the senses and stimulates the intellect, challenging the erudite to identify the attributes of the allegories represented. Sequeira's painting is one of the very rare late 18th century paintings by the Portuguese school present in French collections. Dated 1794 and painted in Rome, this sketch combines mythological, political and religious allegory with undisputable brio.
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