Ary Schefer Paintings

Ary Scheffer was a Dutch-French Romantic painter who was born on February 10, 1795, in Dordrecht, Netherlands. Although he is less well-known today, during the 19th century, he was celebrated for his works that often depicted historical and literary themes with a strong emotional component.

Scheffer showed a talent for art at an early age and began his training with his father, Johann Baptist Scheffer, who was also a painter. After his father's death, the family moved to France, where Ary continued his studies. In Paris, he became a student of Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, a prestigious neoclassical artist of the time. This period was crucial for Scheffer's development as a painter, as he got to learn from notable artists and was exposed to the rich cultural scene of Paris.

During his career, Ary Scheffer achieved considerable success. He became a sought-after portrait painter among the French aristocracy and also received significant commissions for historical paintings. His works often reflected the Romantic spirit of the era, characterized by a focus on emotion, individualism, and the sublime. Some of his most notable paintings include 'Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta' which was inspired by Dante's 'Divine Comedy' and 'The Ghosts of Paolo and Francesca Appear to Dante and Virgil'. His style evolved over the years from strict neoclassical to a more expressive approach that was typical of Romanticism.

Scheffer was not only an artist but also actively involved in the social and political issues of his time, which sometimes reflected in his art. He was acquainted with many prominent intellectuals and artists, including George Sand and François-René de Chateaubriand, whose portraits he painted.

Despite his Dutch origins, Ary Scheffer spent most of his life in France and was closely associated with French art and culture. He was appointed the Director of the French Academy in Rome in 1838 but declined the position. Later in his life, he became a teacher at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where he influenced a new generation of artists.

Scheffer's later years were marked by a decline in his popularity. The rise of new art movements such as Realism and Impressionism overshadowed the Romantic style that he was known for. Ary Scheffer died on June 15, 1858, in Argenteuil, France. Today, his works can be found in various museums around the world, and he is remembered as an important figure in the Romantic movement, albeit not as widely recognized as some of his contemporaries.