18/2/23 - Museum - Montargis, Musée Girodet - After the dramatic floods of 2016 (see articles), the Musée Girodet had reopened (see article), but the collections were still being restored, so not everything could be displayed yet. The situation continues to improve and there are two events currently on display in the museum: one is a temporary exhibition of drawings [1], while the other, a permanent exhibition, consists of a room of sculptures. Both concern Triqueti, one of the greatest sculptors of the Romantic period and the other important artist of Montargis with Girodet-Trioson.
-
- 1. View of the Triqueti sculpture room
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
-
- 2. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
The Consoling Christ receiving
in his Arms Mgr Affre
Terracotta - 53 x 41 x 37 cm
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
The permanent room (ill. 1), which is located in the newly built part of the rear façade and which at the time of the inauguration had remained closed, thus now accommodates several sculptures, many of which have had a prolonged stay under water. This can be seen on some of the plaster casts by the absence of patina and very slight wear. But this is so inconspicuous that it is hardly noticeable. If we count the works that spent several days in the flooded storerooms and those that were restored, the worst was avoided. Each object saved from the water is marked on the labels with a small wave. And it must be said that this is often the only clue as to what happened to them. We must take this opportunity to thank once again all those, often volunteers, including many restorers, who took part in this large-scale rescue. The terracottas (ill. 2) and bronzes were not affected at all.
-
- 3. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
Valentine of Milan Asking Charles VI for
Revenge for the Murder of the Duke of Orleans, 1832-1833
Oil on canvas
Montargis, Musée Girodet (long-term loan from the Auch Museum)
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
We can also admire one of the only known paintings by Triqueti (ill. 3), deposited by the museum of Auch, recently restored (see here its aspect before restoration), and a recent acquisition which we had mentioned here (see the brief of 26/3/22) which is all the more justified as this Portrait of Blanche de Triqueti as a child by Louis Schwiter is much more beautiful restored (ill. 4) than the photograph published by the auction house suggested. It is truly a remarkable addition to this museum, for a very low price.
-
- 4. Louis Auguste de Schwiter (1805-1889)
Portrait of Blanche de Triqueti as a Child
Oil on canvas - 61 x 50 cm
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
Also on display in this room are several "tarsias" (ill. 5), marble paintings with a very particular technique: it consists of making compositions in marble marquetry, the latter being cut into very thin slabs and then engraved with acid. The artist, who had made this a speciality, used it to decorate the funeral chapel of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg in Windsor. For a more complete history of this chapel (and of this technique) we refer to the article we devoted to the Triqueti retrospective in 2007.
-
- 5. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
Homer at the Hippocrene Fountain, 1874
White and grey marble
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
-
- 6. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
Homer at the Hippocrene Fountain, 1874
Black chalk, chalk, watercolour and red chalk
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
The entire collection of Henri de Triqueti’s drawings held by the museum is now temporarily on display to the public. All of them are exhibited, except for one that was too badly damaged by its stay under water.
Many of the sheets come from his studio collection donated by Blanche Lee Childe, his daughter, and her husband Edward Lee Childe, supplemented by more recent donations and acquisitions. They are representative of his entire career and include some particularly rare works, such as the large preparatory cartoons for the tarsias. One of these, which can be seen in the sculpture room (ill. 5) and which, left unfinished, is the last one made by Triqueti, is prepared by his cartoon also kept in the museum (ill. 6).
-
- 7. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
Adam and Eve Rescuing Abel after Cain’s Flight, c. 1834
Graphite
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
The choice of anti-reflective glass, which is particularly appreciated on such large drawings, and which is also anti-UV, thus guaranteeing better conservation, is to be commended.
Among the other sheets presented are studies for the doors of the Madeleine in Paris (ill. 7), one of his most important projects, too little known, worthy of the great bronze doors found in Renaissance Florence, and which are being restored as part of the work on the façade of this church (see brief of 7/11/22). There are also preparatory drawings for his goldsmith’s work, such as a pseudo-shield of Judas Maccabaeus (ill. 8), of unbelievable fantasy and imagination, and others for his sculptures (ill. 9 and 10).
-
- 8. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
The Seven Liberators of Israel, 1850
Ink and chalk - D. 86.5 cm
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
-
- 9. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
The Resurrection, August 1871
(study for the choir of the
chapel of Prince Albert)
Graphite - 32 x 32.5 cm
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
The only regret, but it is a temporary one as the book is announced for the near future, is that the whole thing deserves a complete catalogue. Similarly, it would be desirable for the Girodet Museum to have a database of its collections. There is no doubt that the dynamism shown by this institution - of which Sidonie Lemeux-Fraitot, who has long been its linchpin, was recently appointed director - will soon enable it to carry out this work.
-
- 10. Henri de Triqueti (1803-1874)
Study of drapery for the Dalmatic
of an Angel, 6 May 1868
Charcoal, chalk, pastel and gouache
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
-
- 11. France, ca. 1840-1850
Portrait of Marie-Philippe
Coupin de la Couperie
Oil on paper mounted on cardboard
Montargis, Musée Girodet
Photo: Didier Rykner - See the image in its page
To conclude this article devoted to the news of the Girodet Museum (which has recently been enriched by a painting by Ary Scheffer - see the brief of 13/2/23), let us mention the entry into the collections of a beautiful anonymous portrait of Marie-Philippe Coupin de la Couperie (ill. 11) who was a friend of Girodet, a recent gift of the Talabardon & Gautier Gallery.