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Lot Essay
Pierre-Antoine Demachy was one of the leading exponents of architectural painting in ancien régime France, and a rival of Hubert Robert in the realm of imaginary architectural ruins. He studied with Panini's pupil, Jean-Nicolas Servandoni, a prominent theatrical designer, and followed his teacher by first establishing his reputation in scenography, painting stage sets for productions at the prestigious College Louis-le-Grand in 1759 and at the Opéra in 1760. Demachy was accepted by the Académie Royale in 1755, became an academician in 1758, and a professor of perspective in 1786. He exhibited regularly at the annual Paris Salons from 1757 to 1802.
The present pair of paintings is executed on an unusually grand scale and is highly naturalistic in appearance, although the two paintings seem to depict imaginary churches. Only in the towering rise of the church vaults is there any real element of fantasy, as the figures below are dwarfed into insignificance. Interestingly, Demachy was long thought to have never traveled to Italy, a supposition disproved by the inscription on the first of these canvases: 'Machy Roma'.
These paintings have been requested for loan to a monographic exhibition devoted to Demachy to be held at the Musée Lambinet, Versailles, from 1 March - 15 June 2014.
The present pair of paintings is executed on an unusually grand scale and is highly naturalistic in appearance, although the two paintings seem to depict imaginary churches. Only in the towering rise of the church vaults is there any real element of fantasy, as the figures below are dwarfed into insignificance. Interestingly, Demachy was long thought to have never traveled to Italy, a supposition disproved by the inscription on the first of these canvases: 'Machy Roma'.
These paintings have been requested for loan to a monographic exhibition devoted to Demachy to be held at the Musée Lambinet, Versailles, from 1 March - 15 June 2014.