Paul Delaroche: Painting and Popular Spectacle

Paul Delaroche's paintings connected to a rising popular visual culture in the early nineteenth century, eliciting an emotional response akin to melodrama. Despite criticism, his popularity with a broader audience led to discussions about art judgment and modern spectatorship.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2022
Publisher: Liverpool University Press

Paul Delaroche: Painting and Popular Spectacle delves into the intricate connections between painting and the burgeoning popular visual culture of the early nineteenth century. This era witnessed the emergence of novel forms of optical entertainment, including panoramas and dioramas, as well as significant advancements in fields such as illustration, art reproduction, and stage decor. Delaroche's paintings, renowned for their emotional impact, caused a sensation at the Paris Salon, drawing comparisons to popular melodrama. However, his appeal to a specific audience, despite facing increasingly critical scrutiny, has contributed to his ambiguous position in the art historical canon. This book specifically explores Delaroche's growing popularity among a newly expanded audience, comprising individuals with limited specialist knowledge but a profound fascination and emotional connection to art. Their engagement with Delaroche's works sparked lively discussions about the authority to judge art and the criteria for appreciation. By transcending disciplinary boundaries, this book offers a fresh perspective on both Delaroche and the interconnections between various art forms during this transformative period. It portrays the artist as a pivotal figure at the forefront of an emerging trans-medial popular visual culture, where modern spectatorship began to take shape.

Dimension: 239 x 163 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781802070217