Monet, Charles

Charles Monet. Engraving with watercolors from the book "The Adventures of Telemachus", 1774

A young Charles with drawing abilities is studying under Jean II Restout at the Academy of Painting and Sculpture . Standing out for his talent among peers, in 1753 for the artistic work he received the highest prize of the Academy - "the Rome Prize". This award allowed him to go on a long creative trip to Italy ( Grand Tour ), in which he studied the artistic heritage of the Italian Renaissance . He visited the largest cities, getting acquainted with the architecture and painting of the greatest masters of the past. All this is further reflected in his work.

In 1765 he was admitted to the membership of the French Academy of Painting and Sculpture . He feels the lack of a full-fledged anatomical textbook for teaching students. To fill this gap, he co-authored with the engraver Gilles Demarto for several years worked on the anatomical manual for artists and sculptors "Anatomy as art" (the original name "Études d'anatomie à l'usage des peintres"). The first richly illustrated edition was issued in the form of annual volumes in the period 1770-1775.

As a royal artist, he received a prestigious order for the decoration of the door façade for an architectural complex located in the Lesser Trianon of Versailles . Mythological compositions depicting Borea and Oriphia , as well as Flora and Zephyr , were made and installed in 1768.

In 1767, Charles Monet made his debut as the author of three historical paintings. It was the historical and mythological scenes that were fundamental to his painting of the initial period of creativity, however, he also painted portraits, landscapes, carried out orders for decorative works. Throughout his career as an artist, Charles Monet was a regular participant in the Paris Art Salon , where he successfully exhibited his works.

Charles Monet was one of the most famous illustrators at the end of the eighteenth century. As a debut in this genre, one can consider the artistic design of the comedy of the French playwright “The Philosophers”, published in 1760 (Paris: Duchesne, 1760). The illustrations to the adventures of Telemachus , published in large quantities in 1774, brought him wide fame, and the following year he published in collaboration with the engraver ^[7] Ovid's Metamorphosis ^[7] . Charles Monet completed the illustrations to the fables of Bauzer (Fables, par M. Boisard), published in the composition of his works under the title “Fables” (Vol. 1 and 2, Paris, 1773-1777; Vol. 3, Kahn, 1805).

He also illustrated the fables of La Fontaine ^[8] , together with , and - Voltaire's novels and fairy tales, 1778 and Dangerous Liaisons from Pierre de Laclos , published in 1796 in London . In the following years, many of his works became known for engravings made later on them.

During his long creative career, Charles Monet managed to work under Louis XVI , in the era of the French Revolution and under Napoleon , and he always skillfully adapted to the political order. His historical works were in demand by those in power. In 1775, Monet performed a series of works on the coronation of King Louis XVI , as well as Marie-Antoinette, and glorifying the monarchy. They were made in the allegorical style and served as the basis for engravings included in the collection “Allégorie gravée à l'occasion de l'avènement de Louis XVI” (1775). Later, when the king was beheaded on January 21, 1793, an image engraved by Charles Monet appeared in the French magazine, illustrating the king's beheading, after which a period in which his work was dominated by revolutionary themes.

After the Great French Revolution, Monet again successfully adapted to the new political environment and created the most successful works in his artistic career - drawings of the scenes of the most significant revolutionary events. They enjoyed great success at the art salon in 1793 ^[9] .

With the advent of Napoleon, Charles Monet created a series of 69 drawings illustrating the history of France under the authority of the emperor. At the end of his life, Charles Monet was engaged in teaching as a professor of drawing at l'École de Saint-Cyr ^{[10] [11]} . He gradually moved away from active work and, as a result, after 1808, none of his works were registered.

The date of death of Charles Monet is unknown. Some sources indicate that he died in 1808 in Paris; others claim that he died in 1816 or even 1817. ^[12]

• In his work Anatomy of Art, in producing engravings based on Charles Monet's drawings, Gilles Demarto applied a new technology that allows him to convey the entire purity of the drawing, to reproduce the softness of working with a pencil on grainy paper ^[13] .

• Biographical data, list of works.
• Bénézit , (Monnet, Vol. 6, p. 179) 1776 Benezit. Dictionary of Artists in 14 volumes
• http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/work.aspx?obj=23715 Illustrations for Ovid's Metamorphoses