“The Manner of seeing and thinking”: Exemplars of J.-M. Vien (1717–1809)

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the pedagogic practice and principles of J.-M Vien, a professor of the French Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and the Parisian mentor of the stipendiats of the St. Petersburg Imperial Academy of Arts. Over the course of many years the artist strove to ingrain in his pupils a singular manner of seeing and thinking, based on incessant studies from nature. A thorough examination of classical and Old Masters’ artistic heritage – another essential part of the educational process – was called upon to develop a creative independence of talents. The author presents here an attempt to analyse what exactly Vien believed to be “exemplary”: works of art deserving of primary attention; the creators who charted out the fundamentals of the artistic upbringing. Staying true to his “principes positifs” led to Vien’s tutorial longevity and gained him, in his lifetime, the reputation of an “exemplary” teacher and the “reviver” of the French School of painting.