The famous French artist Gustave Moreau was a legend of Symbolist art. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Moreau hardly shared the excitement over new technological and social developments of nineteenth-century Europe. He believed that the truth hid within the realm of dreams and fantasies, inhabited by heroes and monsters. Read on to learn more about the mysterious artist.
1. Gustave Moreau’s Family
Gustave Moreau was born in 1826 into an affluent family. His poor health did not allow for much physical activity, so under the influence of his parents, he started to draw from an early age. Moreau’s parents encouraged his artistic aspirations and his father even helped him to secure a job as a copyist in the Louvre. One of his teachers was the legendary Romanticist Theodore Chasseriau, known for his mythological scenes and fantasy compositions loosely inspired by Middle Eastern culture.
Chasseriau’s work left an enormous impact on Moreau’s style. Another source of inspiration came from Italy, where the artist spent several years studying the art of antiquity and the Old Masters. Throughout his life, the evidence of classical training would be evident, but year after year, Moreau would develop his own unique and complex style.
2. Gustave Moreau Defined the Aesthetic of Symbolism in Art
Contrary to his…
