Benjamin perronnet V5 - Flipbook - Page 22
et la distribution solennelle des prix a lieu
le 11 décembre.
Le Concorso Clementino constitue pour Natoire
une étape importante dans sa carrière.
Il est sans aucun doute une des principales
raisons des faveurs exceptionnelles dont
l’artiste fait l’objet de la part du duc d’Antin,
surintendant des bâtiments, à savoir
une grati昀椀cation de 300 livres, la promesse
d’une prolongation du séjour à Rome et l’octroi
d’un voyage en Italie du Nord. Le succès
au concours est également à l’origine d
e l’estime très particulière dont Natoire
va jouir à Rome et lui conférer des commandes
importantes tandis qu’en France, un article
du Mercure de France souligne que
“Le Premier Prix remporté dans le sein de
l’Italie, fait beaucoup d’honneur à la Nation”4
.
Le présent dessin est, avec un autre également
préparatoire à une 昀椀gure de la grande feuille
de l’Accademia di San Luca5, le premier
exemple connu d’étude de détail pour une
composition de l’artiste. Il est exécuté dans
une technique qui sera par la suite utilisée
habituellement par l’artiste et répond à
une méthode de tradition académique, que
Natoire va poursuivre durant toute sa carrière,
qui consiste à préparer l’œuvre 昀椀nale par la
réalisation de nombreuses études de détail.
Également déjà caractéristiques de Natoire
sont les reprises de détails de la 昀椀gure,
comme ici les mains et la tête, pour mieux les
approfondir.
Study for a supplicant 昀椀gure in the center of Moses
returning from Sinai and appearing to his people with a
dazzling face (Fig.1), a large drawing (52 x 76 cm.) with
which Natoire won 昀椀rst prize in the Concorso Clementino of
the Accademia di San Luca in Rome in 1725. His drawing
is still today at the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca.
The Accademia, founded in the sixteenth century, provides
theoretical and practical training. Carlo Maratta (16251713) was appointed Prince in 1664, and headed it until his
death in 1713. The Accademia merged with the Académie
de France in 1676, and in 1693 Pope Clement XI (16491721) instituted the Concorso Clementino. The competition
was open to artists under the age of twenty-昀椀ve, and
was organized into three classes, each corresponding to
a di昀昀erent level of di昀케culty. The subjects were religiously
inspired and, for the 昀椀rst competition, were decided at
an assembly of academicians. They are made public
approximately one year before the date of submission
of the work. To con昀椀rm the authenticity of his work, the
candidate is then subjected to a second test, known as ex
tempore, which takes place over two hours in the great
hall of the Accademia and consists of the execution of a
drawing on a subject selected immediately beforehand. In
theory, the competition was held annually. However, after
Maratta’s death, its rhythm became more hieratic. The 1725
competition was the 昀椀rst to be held since 1716.
In 1725, Natoire had been in Rome for two years after
winning the Académie’s Prix de Peinture in 1721. It was
the director of the Académie de France in Rome, Nicolas
Vleughels (1668-1737), who encouraged the young artist
to take part in the Concorso Clementino in the 昀椀rst class,
reserved for established artists. The candidates’ works
were submitted on December 2, 1725. Four days later, the
artists were summoned for the ex tempore test, namely a
drawing on the theme of Venus giving Aeneas the weapons
made by Vulcan (Natoire’s drawing is now lost), and the
solemn distribution of prizes took place on December 11.
For Natoire, the Concorso Clementino was a milestone in
his career. It was undoubtedly one of the main reasons for
the exceptional favors he received from the Duc d’Antin,
Superintendent of Buildings, namely a gratuity of 300
livres, the promise of an extended stay in Rome and the
granting of a trip to Northern Italy. Natoire’s success in
the competition was also responsible for the very special
esteem he enjoyed in Rome, and led to major ...
Continued page 88
4
.S. Caviglia-Brunel, op. cit., p. 28.
. Étude de jeune garçon et reprise des deux mains, sanguine et rehauts de craie blanche sur papier chamois, 26,7 x 18,3 cm., localisation actuelle inconnue; S.
Caviglia-Brunel, op. cit., n°D.69.
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