The Burial of Atala or The Funeral of Atala (French: Atala au tombeau) is an 1808 oil-on-canvas painting by the French painter Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson.[1] It depicts a scene from Francois-René de Chateaubriand's novel, Atala, written in 1801.[2] Inspired by this tragic love story, Girodet captures its dramatic tone by combining both Neoclassical and Romantic elements while emphasizing the sensuality of Atala’s death.
| The Burial of Atala | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson |
| Year | 1808 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Location | Louvre, Paris |
First publicly displayed in the Salon of 1808, the painting was well received.[3] It was then acquired by Louis XVIII in 1818.[3] Today, it is held in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.[3]
Context
editReacting against the secularism of the French Revolution, both Chateaubriand and Girodet contributed to the revival of Christianity, incorporating religious motifs and iconography into their works.[4][5]
Chateaubriand’s Atala was part of a larger project, The Genius of Christianity (French: Le Génie du Christianisme), written as a defense of Christianity meant to inspire artists and to emphasize moral ideals.[3][6] Atala tells the story of a Christian girl, Atala, who fell in love with a Natchez Indian, Chatcas.[5] However, this threatens her obligation to her vow of chastity.[2] Atala ultimately chooses to poison herself as a resolution to the struggle between love and the duties of her faith.[2] The story had an immediate impact on artists. The Salon of 1802 featured two paintings directly inspired by Atala.[2] Its tremendous influence persisted over the next half century, as eighteen more paintings were created based on the novel from 1802 to 1848.[2] Girodet was the most significant artist to take up Chateaubriand’s texts at the time.[3]
Girodet’s style was influenced by his teacher, the Neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David, but it also had elements of early Romanticism.[1] Deviating from the Classical, heroic scenes prevalent in David’s works, Girodet placed more emphasis on emotions, individuality, and imagination in his art.[5][6] Turning to Renaissance themes as well as contemporary literature for inspiration, Girodet was quickly drawn to the strong sentiments that were present in Chateaubriand’s Atala.[5]
Description
editThe painting features three distinct figures positioned in front of an archway. In the center of the painting, Atala appears dressed in a white burial shroud with her head facing the viewer.[2] She holds a crucifix and has her hands in a prayer-like gesture.[2] To her right stands a man in a robe, representing the character Father Aubry in the novel.[2] Father Aubry, an old priest, delivered the last rites as Atala passed away in Chactas's arms.[2] He stands inside the grave and is lifting the upper half of Atala's body as if preparing to lower her into the grave.[2] The unclothed young man to the left of Atala is Chactas, who is clutching tightly onto Atala’s legs at the edge.[2]
In the background of the painting, there is a forest and a cross in the distance, set against the light of dawn. The shovel in the foreground alludes to the digging of the grave.[2] Furthermore, inscribed on the wall of the cave are words quoted from the Book of Job in French, translating to “I have faded like a flower. I have withered like the grass in the fields.”[2][3]
In this painting, the composition confines viewers within the walls of the cave.[2] David’s influence on Girodet is shown through incorporating the Neoclassical tendency to focus on the instantaneity of the moment that is seemingly frozen in time.[2] However, Girodet also distances himself from the Neoclassical tradition, adding elements of Romanticism.[1] The figures express the sensation of grief distinctly, highlighting Girodet's emphasis on individuality.[2] The light on Atala further stresses the sensuality of the moment, adding a poetic and erotic tone.[1][6] Girodet accentuates similar Romantic elements of originality, individuality, and imagination across many of his works, including the Sleep of Endymion and the Ossian Receiving the Spirits of the French Heroes.
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Girodet, Sleep of Endymion, 1791 -
Girodet, Ossian Receiving the Spirits of the French Heroes, 1802
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Brown, Stephanie Nevison (2003). "Girodet (de Roussy-Trioson) [Girodet-Trioson], Anne-Louis". Grove Art Online. doi:10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T032603. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Bellenger, Sylvain (2005). Girodet: 1767-1824. Paris: Gallimard. pp. 300–307. ISBN 9782070118250.
- ^ a b c d e f Wakefield, David (1978). "Chateaubriand's 'Atala' as a Source of Inspiration in Nineteenth-Century Art". The Burlington Magazine. 120 (898): 13–24. ISSN 0007-6287. JSTOR 879073.
- ^ O'Neil, Mary Anne (1993). "Chateaubriand's "Atala": A Study of The French Revolution". Nineteenth-Century French Studies. 22 (1/2): 1–14. ISSN 0146-7891. JSTOR 23537428.
- ^ a b c d Chu, Petra ten-Doesschate (2010). Nineteenth-Century European Art (3rd ed.). Pearson Prentice Hall. pp. 137–139. ISBN 9780205707997.
- ^ a b c Savettieri, Chiara (2012-12-15). "L'Atala de Chateaubriand et l'Atala de Girodet : la beauté de la mort". Revue italienne d'études françaises. Littérature, langue, culture (in French) (2). doi:10.4000/rief.858. ISSN 2240-7456.