Focus on The Sacred Grove, Beloved of the Arts and Muses and explain the Background.
The original The Sacred Grove, Beloved of the Arts and Muses was commissioned in 1883 as Royalists and Republicans battled for the meaning of France's identity, art pieces at the time, including The Sacred Grove intending to be exhibited in public spaces had to satisfy the ideological mindset of the commissioner (in this case that of the Republicans). Decorations for public viewing also had to have an educational purpose. These criteria served as a framework for Puvis in his structure and reasoning behind the piece, which served an educational purpose and put French patriotism on display.Pierre Puvis de Chavannes was a well regarded painter during his life however his popularity diminished after his death, unlike most renowned artists. Before The Sacred Grove commission, he had paintings adorning the walls of the Panthéon in Paris as well as many other museums throughout France, including those in Poitiers and Marseilles. The Sacred Grove was the first of Puvis’ paintings to be developed from an easel version and unlike his other pieces did not depict historical events or well known geographical landscapes. Critics were unsure of the painting due to its different nature and unconventional creation, as well as its lack of explanation by Puvis when the showcase version was displayed in the Salon. The artist's good reputation then started to decrease substantially when Henri de Toulouse Lautrec parodied The Sacred Grove and mocked Puvis’ more traditional artistry. A caricature was done in 1886 of Puvis, after The Sacred Grove had already been severely critiqued, presenting the artist as wandering aimlessly in one of his own fantastical landscapes. In 1884, there was also a caricature completed but of the painting itself rather than the painter, which greatly exaggerated the figures in The Sacred Grove and their movements.
Pierre Puvis de Chavannes French Muses Henri de Toulouse Lautrec Paris Panthéon