1821
oil
canvas
From the collection of Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon
Dominant colour
Montaigne Visiting Torquato Tasso in Prison is a 1821 oil by François Fleury-Richard, depicting Prison, held at Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon.
This painting shows two men in a dimly lit room with stone walls and stairs leading up to a bright, open doorway. One man sits at a desk, gesturing with his right hand while holding a quill in his left. He wears a red robe over a white shirt and has a white cloth draped over his lap. The other man stands before him, dressed in dark attire with a red and white feathered hat, and also gestures with his right hand. The scene is rendered in warm, muted tones, with the bright light from the doorway casting a stark contrast to the dimness of the room. The artist's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and drama, drawing the viewer's eye to the central figures. For more on the use of chiaroscuro in art, explore the technique of glazing.
Montaigne Visiting Torquato Tasso in Prison (French: Le Tasse en prison visité par Montaigne or Le Tasse et Montaigne) is an oil on canvas painting by French painter Fleury François Richard, created in 1821. It was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, in 1822, at the request of baron Rambaud, mayor of Lyon. It was first exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1822. It is one of the artist's last paintings, showing Torquato Tasso being visited by Montaigne while in prison.
Source: wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Contrary to what the title implies, Tasso was not imprisoned. He was actually locked up in a hospital for the insane in Ferrara, Italy, the Ospedale di Sant' Anna, due to a mental illness. The fact that the hospital here takes the appearance of a chapel shows the little importance that the artist gives to the conditions of Tasso's confinement as well as to the historical context of the situation: what matters is the condition of the character, both physical and psychological, and the representation of the setting is in line with the perception he himself may have of it. This painting is…
Source: wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The work is quite imposing and is inspired by a historical event, when the French philosopher Montaigne visited Tasso in the Ferrara hospital. Richard stages the scene in an underground chapel, in order to represent strong contrasts of light, a feature which fascinated him. The chapel is represented as an underground space which is reached by a narrow staircase. Monasticism was a theme appreciated by the author, and cloisters one of his favorite settings, so it is not surprising to find its characteristics here. The dark walls seem that are made of stone, as does the floor, which takes on a…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Source: wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Fleury François Richard (25 February 1777, Lyon – 14 March 1852, Écully), sometimes called Fleury-Richard, was a French painter of the Lyon School.
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