Together with Dughet, Millet, Lemaire, and Jacques Rousseau, Pierre Patel the Elder was an important exponent of the classical landscape style in France, a style that was based primarily on that of Claude Lorrain. In fact, the nineteenth-century biographer, J. P. Mariette called him the "Claude Lorrain of France." PatePs balanced, picturesque compositions of reflecting pools of water, ancient ruins, and graceful trees all washed in a soft waning light certainly have Claude as their inspiration. Nevertheless, Patel's forms are thinner, his edges crisper and more broken, and more accentuated details
find their way into his works, perhaps through the inspiration of Laurent de
La Hyre.
The pupil of Simon Vouet, Pierre joined the Academy of St. Luke in Paris in 1635. He remained active in Paris all his life. Patel produced panels that were incorporated into the decor of the Cabinet de 1'Amour at the Hotel Lambert (1646-47) and the apartments of Anne of Austria in the LouvTe (1655-60). In 1651 Pierre signed the agreement to unity the Academy of St. Luke and the Royal Academy, but he seems never to have been
elected into the Royal Academy. Pierre Patel did not visit Italy as far as we know, although his landscape conception is steeped in the classical tradition so strongly fomented by French artists living in Italy. Pierre's landscapes emphasize restful balance of forms, picturesque details, and an overall sharper focus rather than the diffuse atmosphere that permeates Claude's images. Pierre's son, Pierre Antoine Patel, the Younger was his pupil. |
