Dr Robert Bohan Profile picture
Dec 21, 2021 14 tweets 10 min read Read on X
Thread: Thomas Couture (1815-79) was a French history painter & teacher. He was born on this day. Although mainly known to experts in art history, his work has charm. One of his greatest works is in the National Gallery of Ireland: The Realist Painter (1865)
He was born in Oise, but moved to Paris where he studied art at an industrial school before moving to the École des Beaux-Arts. He won the Prix de Rome, after 6 goes, in 1837. A Widow (1840), Horace & Lydia (1843), Jules Michelet (1843) & Reverie (1840-1)
I’ve got a dodgy immune system so was delighted to get a booster shot last week so I decided to have a celebratory offer for UK & Ireland. When you buy an original ink drawing you can choose two more free!
There is a sense of overwrought emotion in a lot of his work. Portrait of a Man (1841), Return from the Fields (1841) & Miss Florentin (1844). You can clearly see that his work inspired Manet with his use of strong plains of light & shade.
Couture exhibited at the Salon from 1840. He was a critical success with his Romans during the Decadence (1847) cited as his early masterpiece. Romans (1844-7) & Little Bather (1849). The latter would have appealed to a sense of innocence at the time when sentimentalism prevailed
Anselm Feuerbach (1852), The Falconer (1855) & The Realist (1865). Feuerbach was a dashing Romantic artist who resembled Couture in painting relatively minor works. Unlike Couture, however, he was not influential or original in his technique.
Portrait of a Lady (1852), Antoine Etex (1845-55), Pierrot (c1855) & The Duel after the Masked Ball (1857). From accounts of his life Couture could be quite difficult & there’s an element of that in how he saw other people.
Many of his images combine 18th century motifs with 19th C Romantic painting. Harlequin & Pierrot (c1857), Timon of Athens (1857) & The Young Drummer (c1857). At the time artists thought that old masters painted in brown tones & this influenced his colour choices.
Soap Bubbles (c1859), Damocles (1866) & The Thorny Path (1873). Some of his subject matter resembles Millais. It is, however, in his free handling of paint & relaxed style that he would evolve art; providing advances that led to Impressionism.
Musician (1877), The Artist’s Daughter (1878) & Portrait of a Girl (nd). His Musician is also in @NGIreland When you see such technical ability it’s sad to see that he was so cerebral that he could not just allow an authentic emotion to be portrayed in his work.
Couture was trained within the Academic tradition so drew many Academies, which were studies of the nude form. Here the point is description rather than some long lost intellectual idea & as a result the works are true to nature, authentic & beautiful.
In order to challenge the now stale Academic method he set up his own teaching studio. He was awarded a number of Church & State commissions but they met with negativity so he left Paris. He then wrote a book on his own art methods (1879) Young Italian Girl (1877)
Couture died in 1879, aged 63. Significant parts of his legacy were the many students he taught. These included Manet, Fantin-Latour & Puvis de Chavannes. Of these, he influenced Puvis de Chavannes most. The Little Confectioner (c1878)
Here’s more on my special offers! I ship my work worldwide from Ireland. Offer ends 4th January

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More from @RobertBohan

Jun 3, 2023
Thread: For many this Pride is one of the scariest of modern times. Criminalisation of Trans kids & adults, banning of Pride, media campaigns against LGBT+ ppl, violence & persecution are found from the EU, thru the UK to the US.

I want to show how LGBT+ ppl are heroic. Image
Willem Arondeus (1894-1943) was a Dutch artist & writer, a proud gay man, a founder member of the Dutch Resistance & Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jewish lives.

He demonstrated that LGBT+ ppl are not cowards & will not be cowed. Image
He grew up in Amsterdam. When he was 17 he told his parents that he was gay & they later kicked him out for refusing to hide it (aged 18). To eke out a living he painted, created illustrations & wrote. He discovered in himself a fierce independence. Image
Read 26 tweets
Jun 3, 2023
During the Irish same sex marriage [SSM] referendum I pointed out to a friend that the Irish media’s coverage was homophobic & dehumanising.

They, a straight cis guy, who supported SSM disagreed. I proved it to him, to his shock, & he donated to the Yes side in response.
I asked him to replace every mention of Gay or Lesbian, in a newspaper article, with Jewish.

He came back to me saying ‘do you realise how bad this is?’ 👀

He was genuinely shocked.
So here’s another exercise everyone can try.

Show me a Gutter Critter & I’ll show you a Nazi.

It really is chilling how mainstream this hate is, not just online but, in the media.
Read 4 tweets
Jun 3, 2023
It amazes me the number of ppl with ‘Christian’ in their bios who seem to be completely unaware of Jesus being Gay. There are gonna be some awkward conversations at the Pearly Gates [John 13:23]*

Happy Pride! Image
*given that entire ‘churches’ are based on Leviticus & a disputed version of who can shag who, it’s amazing that Christianity overlooks how often JC is shown as Gay for Jonno. Leviticus, BTW, also says it’s AOK to own slaves, sinful to wear cotton-Lycra jocks & eat surf & turf…
Matthew 7:5 has some relevant side-eye

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Read 6 tweets
Jun 2, 2023
The stupidity of ethnic English nationalism really is breathtaking. Europe is not miles away -
the British border is in Ireland [no wonder these tulips tied themselves in knots over it!]. In light of that ignorance, not knowing that GBS is Irish, is relatively minor!
I think that colonial history should be compulsory in English schools. Being a nationalist is the norm in most of Europe. However being an ethnic nationalist, with its emphasis on exclusion, is [to put it mildly] problematic. Ask anyone who has studied the period 1939-45.
Just to be clear Matthew was being humorous & I was agreeing with him. Today I’ve really realised how few ppl actually read threads & jump on the first Tweet with their opinion. Having said that I doubt anyone will read this 😉 .@DrMatthewSweet
Read 4 tweets
Jun 2, 2023
Thread: To celebrate Pride Month I put together a celebration of LGBT+ artists & writers who have been central to Irish culture & our sense of who we are. Given past persecution it’s impressive how important they have been or are presently! ImageImageImageImage
Mary Dorcey (b 1950) is a poet, writer & member of Aosdána. Her work is critically acclaimed & moving. She has campaigned for LGBTQI & has provided a voice for the community through activism & words

‘I have seen mad women in my time
- I have never seen them mad enough.’ (1991) ImageImage
Here’s an overview of my own art. It’s all about love, hope & happiness.
Read 36 tweets
Jun 2, 2023
Thread: I love using bold vibrant colours, pattern & clarity of line in my ink on paper drawings. Sometimes they look deceptively simple, but if you zoom in you can see why they can take up to eight hours to draw. Here’s some more drawings Image
Visit Etsy to see all my available drawings that you can purchase right now: etsy.com/ie/shop/robboh…

Wild Orchids (2021) | Original ink on paper drawing by Robert Bohan
Buy here: etsy.me/3MJHx9H ImageImage
Japanese Ground Orchids (2021) | Original ink on paper drawing by Robert Bohan
Buy here: etsy.me/3piLysf ImageImage
Read 18 tweets

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