The origins of French art criticism

About this book

This is the first general account of the formation of French art criticism from the later Ancien Regime to the Restoration which integrates art critical practices within the complex historical circumstances of the period. Between the mid-eighteenth century and the 1820s, art critical writing became an established feature of the Parisian art world. Richard Wrigley considers a wide range of pamphlets and journalism and explores the discourse of art criticism in the context of the dynamic political changes witnessed during this period. He locates the history of criticism within patterns of publishing, censorship, and authorship, and pays particular attention to the Salon exhibitions which provided the central focus for both official and dissenting estimations of the state of French art. The production of critical texts and the language that they employ draw together various modes of polemical and aesthetic discourse - from high minded theorising to vitriolic satires on contemporary art, artists, and institutions. In a period during which open political discussion was often severely constrained, Dr Wrigley shows that art criticism was a prime vehicle for debates about the political significance of French culture.