Philip James de Loutherbourg
Philip James de Loutherbourg | |
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Lord Howe's action, or the Glorious First of June Coalbrookdale by Night | |
Movement | History painting Military art |
Philip James de Loutherbourg
Early life
Loutherbourg was born in
Paris
Rejecting a religious calling, Loutherbourg decided to become a painter, and in 1755 placed himself under
Travels
Loutherbourg then travelled through Switzerland, Germany and Italy, distinguishing himself as much by his mechanical inventions as by his painting. One of these, showing new effects produced in a model theatre, was the wonder of the day, with its use of lights behind canvas representing the moon and stars, and the illusory appearance of running water produced by clear blue sheets of metal and gauze, with loose threads of silver.[2]
London
Theatre
In 1771 he settled in London, where David Garrick paid him £500 a year to design scenery and costumes and oversee the stage machinery at the Drury Lane Theatre.[3] His stage effects attracted the admiration not just of the general public, but also of artists, including Joshua Reynolds. He devised scenic effects in which, for instance, green trees gradually became russet and the moon rose and lit the edges of passing clouds:[2] illusions achieved through the use of coloured lantern-slides and the ingenious lighting of transparencies.[4] He continued to work at the theatre until 1785.[3]
He achieved an even greater success with an entertainment called the Eidophusikon, meaning "image of nature". This was a miniature mechanical theatre measuring six by eight feet, and described as displaying "Various Imitations of Natural Phenomena, represented by Moving Pictures". It was presented at Loutherbourg's home from March 1781 in an auditorium seating about 130 people. He used Argand lamps to light the stage and stained glass to change colours.
At Christmas, 1781, Loutherbourg mounted a spectacle at a party in the Egyptian Hall at
Painting
Despite these other projects, Loutherbourg still found time for painting.
Seven of his paintings, including Lodore Waterfall and Skating in Hyde Park, are in the Government Art Collection.[5]
He was made a member of the
Publications
Two sets of drawings by de Loutherbourg were published, reproduced in
Esoteric interests
In 1789 Loutherbourg temporarily gave up painting, in order to pursue an interest in alchemy and the supernatural.[3] He met Alessandro Cagliostro, who instructed him in the occult.[3] He travelled about with Cagliostro, leaving him, however, before his condemnation to death.[2] He and his wife also took up faith-healing. A pamphlet called A List of a Few Cures performed by Mr and Mrs De Loutherbourg, of Hammersmith Terrace, without Medicine was published in 1789. Written by a follower named Mary Pratt, it claimed that the Loutherbourgs had cured two thousand people between Christmas 1788 and the following July, "having been made proper recipients to receive divine manuductions".[6]
Death
Loutherbourg died in Chiswick in west London in 1812.
There are paintings by him in the collections of many British institutions including
Loutherbourg was buried in Chiswick Old Cemetery, adjoining the graveyard of
Further reading
- Burden, Michael. "The Making and Marketing of the Georgian Apotheosis: Carter, Strange, Rebecca, Tresham, and de Loutherbourg". The British Art Journal, 22/1 (2021) pp. 10–17.
- Joppier, Rudiger (1973). Philippe Jacques de Loutherbourg, R.A., 1740-1812. London: Greater London Council.
- Dobson, Austin. At Prior Park and Other Papers. London: Humphrey Milford Oxford University Press, 1923. Print.
References
- ^ a b Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. VII (9th ed.). 1878. p. 52. .
- ^ a b c d e f public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "De Loutherbourg, Philip James". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 973. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- ^ a b c d e Lister, Raymond (1989). British Romantic Painting. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ doi:10.7202/016129ar.
- ISBN 978-1-904931-42-3.)
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Mackay, Charles (1852). Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions. Vol. 1. London. p. 288.
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: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Philip James de Loutherbourg, BBC, accessed August 2011
External links
- Media related to Philipp Jakob Loutherbourg d. J. at Wikimedia Commons
- Works related to Philip James de Loutherbourg at Wikisource
- 72 artworks by or after Philip James de Loutherbourg at the Art UK site
- Adventures in Cybersound: Philippe Jacques de Loutherberg