Auguste Couder

1790 – 1873

French painter. A pupil of Jean-Baptiste Regnault and Jacques-Louis David, he exhibited for the first time in the Salon of 1814 with The Death of General Moreau (Brest, Musée Municipal). In 1817 The Levite of Ephraim (Arras, Abbaye St Vaast, Musée des Beaux-Arts) was widely praised by the critics. In 1818 he received his first official commission, for the decoration of the vaulted ceiling of the vestibule to the Galerie d'Apollon in the Louvre (in situ). Couder's reputation as a history painter was based on the commissions he executed for the Musée Historique in Versailles. In addition to many portraits, he produced large paintings, in which rich colouring was combined with precise academic drawing: for example, The Battle of Lawfeld (exh. Salon, 1836) and The Siege of Yorktown (exh. Salon, 1837;), both painted for the Galerie des Batailles (in situ); The Federation of 14 July 1790 (exh. Salon, 1844; Versailles, Château); and the Oath Taken in the Jeu de Paume (exh. Salon, 1848; Versailles, Château), which was inspired very directly by David. The Opening of the States General at Versailles on 5 May 1789 (exh. Salon, 1840; Versailles, Château) is a good illustration of his ability to present a historical reconstruction containing a large number of figures without monotony, thanks to his talent for portraiture and the skilful disposition of light.

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