The bad good painter

Abstract

Oleg Sydor-Hibelynda's article raises the issue of the existence of a European Salon in the context of Modernist art, some on which the Salon uses. French painter Georg-Antoine Rochegrosse (1859– 1939) іs one of those who tried to combine salon academicism and individual images of symbolism and decadence; far examples, he illustrated «Fleur du Mal» by Charles Baudelaire and«Salambo» by Gustav Flaubert, he also designed opera performances, popularized oriental themes. Reproductions of his works were published in huge edition, performances based on his paintings caused scandals. He was admired by Alexander Benois (he soon exposed it in his history of art) and Maxim Gorky (allusion to the global Russian disaster 1896 year well-known as Khodynka), even Max Jacob (an ironic episode in one of his novels) and Goncourt brothers (they kepts one of his portraits in their collection, so called «Attic»), by the way, Rochegrosse was interested in the great Ukrainian poetess Lesya Ukrainka (in whose work we find similarities with him, although, apparently, she did not see the originals of his paintings). But the result was unsuccessful and artist’s works were forgotten. Нis bizarre hybrid style initially delighted many viewers, even connoisseurs, but soon became annoying and derisive. However, his strange eclectic experience contributed greatly to the understanding of the art kitsch (a vivid example of which is the painting by Rochegrosse - «The Pursuit of Happiness», described by Gorky in the «The Life of Klim Samgin»), which developed after the death of this painter. In today’s world, interest in his work is growing, but a little. So, he remains characteristic creative figure of «transitional era», spokesman for the murky and contradictory «background of his time». A clumsy epigone of symbolism, he expressed his vague desires and in the end was not recognized as a symbolist. That’s why we call Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse «bad good artist». Today he would be called a postmodernist.