Roger de Piles' biography of Sébastien Bourdon, year 1699

Sources:

L'Abrégé de la vie des peintres, volume 7, pages 498 to 500, by Roger de Piles, 1699; original at the National Library of Naples (Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele III)

https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_zAbkIJvB5xoC/page/498/mode/2up

The art of painting, and the lives of the painters, pages 368 to 370, by Roger de Piles, translated by anonymous translator, 1706; original at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute Library

https://archive.org/details/artofpaintingliv00pile/page/n389/mode/2up

The biography:

SEBASTIEN BOURDON

NATIF de Montpellier, avoit un Génie de feu, qui ne luy a pas permis de refléchir beaucoup, ni de s'appliquer suffisamment aux parties les plus essentielles de son Art. Les Etudes qu'il en fit en Italie, furent mêmes interrompuës par quelque querelle qui l'obligea d'en sortir aprés n'y avoir fait que peu de séjour. Cependant il avoit un Génie facile, qui luy a fait produire dans ses prémiers Ouvrages assez de bonnes choses, pour donner des espérances d'une habileté éxtraordinaire.

Les Guerres Civiles de France, qui y suspendirent les travaux des beaux Arts, luy firent faire le voyage de Suéde, où la réputation de la Reine Christine l'avoit attiré. Mais Sa Majesté ne luy ayant donné pour tout employ que son Portrait à peindre [sic], il n'y fit pas grand séjour; & son Génie de feu ne pouvant s'accommoder de l'inaction, le fit revenir bien-tôt en France chercher des occasions de s'éxercer. S'il n'a pas rempli tout ce que l'on attendoit de luy, il a du moins soûtenu sa réputation par des Compositions éxtraordinaires, & par des Expressions vives. Mais comme son Génie n'étoit pas conduit par un jugement bien solide, il s'évaporoit souvent en des Imaginations outrées; &, qui, aprés avoir fait plaisir au Spéctateur par leurs bizarreries piquantes, tombent dans le sauvage pour peu qu'on les éxamine. Il n'en est pas de même de son Païsage, il le faisoit tres-bien; & j'en ay vû plusieurs, qui sont de beaux effets de son Imagination, & que la bizarrerie ne rend que plus agréables: parce qu'il y entre certains effets éxtraordinaires, qu'il a étudiez d'aprés le Naturel, & qu'il a éxécutez d'une main promte & facile. Il est vray que les sites, qui en sont peu communs, n'en sont pas bien réguliers, & ne s'accordent pas souvent dans leur plan. Il finissoit peu ses Ouvrages, & les plus finis même ne sont pas toûjours les plus beaux.

Il paria une fois contre un de ses amis, qu'il peindroit en un jour douze têtes d'aprés le Naturel, & grandes comme le Naturel, & gagna. Ces têtes ne sont pas des moindres qui soient sorties de son Pinceau. Il se servoit souvent de l'impression de la toile quand il avoit du poil à faire, non pas en laissant l'impression découverte, mais en la découvrant avec l'ante de son pinceau.

Il a fait quantité d'Ouvrages, dont les plus considérables sont, la Galerie de M. de Brétonvilliers dans l'Isle Nôtre-Dame, & les sept Oeuvres de Miséricorde, qu'il a gravées luy-même à l'eau-forte. Celuy de tous ces Tableaux qu'on estime davantage, est le martyre de Saint-Pierre, qu'il fit pour le May de l'Eglise de Nôtre-Dame, & que l'on y conserve comme un des plus beaux de tous ceux qu'elle contient.

Il étoit Calviniste de Réligion, mais d'ailleurs de tres-bonnes mœurs, & fort estimé dans l'Académie, dont il étoit Recteur. Il travailloit pour le Roy dans l'Appartement bas des Tuilleries, lorsque la mort le surprit en 1662. âgé d'environ soixante ans.

With modernised spelling:

Sébastien Bourdon.

Natif de Montpellier, avait un génie de feu qui ne lui a pas permis de réfléchir beaucoup, ni de s'appliquer suffisamment aux parties les plus essentielles de son art. Les études qu'il en fit en Italie furent même interrompues par quelque querelle qui l'obligea d'en sortir après n'y avoir fait que peu de séjour. Cependant, il avait un génie facile qui lui a fait produire dans ses premiers ouvrages assez de bonnes choses pour donner des espérances d'une habileté extraordinaire.

Les guerres civiles de France, qui y suspendirent les travaux des beaux arts, lui firent faire le voyage de Suède, où la réputation de la reine Christine l'avait attiré. Mais, Sa Majesté ne lui ayant donné pour tout emploi que son portrait à peindre [sic], il n'y fit pas grand séjour; et son génie de feu, ne pouvant s'accommoder de l'inaction, le fit revenir bientôt en France chercher des occasions de s'exercer.

S'il n'a pas rempli tout ce que l'on attendait de lui, il a du moins soutenu sa réputation par des compositions extraordinaires et par des expressions vives. Mais, comme son génie n'était pas conduit par un jugement bien solide, il s'évaporait souvent en des imaginations outrées et qui, après avoir fait plaisir au spectateur par leurs bizarreries piquantes, tombent dans le sauvage pour peu qu'on les examine.

Il n'en est pas de même de son paysage — il le faisait très bien; — et j'en ai vu plusieurs qui sont de beaux effets de son imagination et que la bizarrerie ne rend que plus agréables, parce qu'il y entre certains effets extraordinaires qu'il a étudiés d'après le naturel et qu'il a éxécutés d'une main prompte et facile. Il est vrai que les sites, qui en sont peu communs, n'en sont pas bien réguliers et ne s'accordent pas souvent dans leur plan. Il finissait peu ses ouvrages, et les plus finis même ne sont pas toujours les plus beaux.

Il paria une fois contre un de ses amis qu'il peindrait en un jour douze têtes d'après le naturel et grandes comme le naturel, et gagna. Ces têtes ne sont pas des moindres qui soient sorties de son pinceau. Il se servait souvent de l'impression de la toile quand il avait du poil à faire, non pas en laissant l'impression découverte, mais en la découvrant avec l'ante de son pinceau.

Il a fait quantité d'ouvrages, dont les plus considérables sont la galerie de M. de Brétonvilliers dans l'île Notre-Dame, et les Sept œuvres de miséricorde, qu'il a gravées lui-même à l'eau-forte. Celui de tous ces tableaux qu'on estime davantage, est le Martyre de Saint-Pierre, qu'il fit pour le mai de l'église de Notre-Dame, et que l'on y conserve comme un des plus beaux de tous ceux qu'elle contient.

Il était calviniste de religion, mais d'ailleurs de très bonnes mœurs et fort estimé dans l'Académie, dont il était recteur. Il travaillait pour le roi dans l'appartement bas des Tuileries lorsque la mort le surprit en 1662, âgé d'environ soixante ans.

Swedish translation (my own):

Sébastien Bourdon.

Han var född i Montpellier och hade ett eldigt geni som inte tillät honom att reflektera mycket eller ägna sig tillräckligt åt de viktigaste aspekterna av sin konst. Studierna han gjorde i Italien avbröts till och med av ett gräl som tvingade honom att lämna efter bara en kort vistelse. Han hade dock ett lättvindigt geni som gjorde det möjligt för honom att producera tillräckligt bra saker i sina tidiga verk för att väcka hopp om en extraordinär förmåga.

Inbördeskrigen i Frankrike, som stoppade arbetet inom de sköna konsterna, ledde honom till att resa till Sverige, dit drottning Kristinas rykte hade lockat honom. Men eftersom Hennes Majestät inte hade givit honom någon annan sysselsättning än att måla hennes porträtt [sic], stannade han inte där länge; och hans eldigt geni, oförmöget att anpassa sig till overksamhet, förde honom snart tillbaka till Frankrike för att söka möjligheter att utöva sig.

Om han inte uppfyllde allt man förväntade sig av honom, så upprätthöll han åtminstone sitt rykte genom extraordinära kompositioner och livfulla uttryck. Men eftersom hans geni inte vägleddes av sunt omdöme, förångades det ofta till extravaganta fantasier som, efter att först ha behagat betraktaren med sina pikanta bisarrerier, vid närmare granskning övergår i vildhet.

Detsamma kan inte sägas om hans landskap — han målade dem mycket väl; — och jag har sett flera som är vackra produkter av hans fantasi, desto mer tilltalande av sin bisarrhet, eftersom de innehåller vissa extraordinära effekter som han studerade från naturen och utförde med snabb och enkel hand. Det är sant att miljöerna, som är ovanliga, inte är särskilt regelbundna och ofta inte överensstämmer med varandra i sin komposition. Han avslutade få av sina verk, och även de mest färdiga är inte alltid de vackraste.

Han slog en gång vad med en vän om att han kunde måla tolv huvuden i naturlig storlek på en enda dag, och han vann. Dessa huvuden är bland de finaste som någonsin kommit från hans pensel. Han använde ofta avtrycket av duken när han hade en uppgift att slutföra, inte genom att lämna avtrycket synligt, utan genom att avslöja det med spetsen på penseln.

Han producerade ett antal verk, varav de viktigaste är monsieur de Brétonvilliers galleri på île de Notre-Dame och De sju goda gärningar, som han själv etsade. Den mest uppskattade av alla dessa målningar är Sankt Peters martyrdöd, som han skapade för majsamlingen i kyrkan Notre Dame, och som bevaras där som en av de finaste i dess samling.

Han var kalvinist till sin religion, men hade annars mycket god moral och var högt ansedd inom Akademien, där han var rektor. Han arbetade för konungen i Tuileriernas nedre våning när han dog 1662, vid en ålder av omkring sextio år.

English translation (by anonymous translator):

SEBASTIEN BOURDON

Born at Montpellier, had a Genius so fiery that it wou'd not let him reflect sufficiently, nor study the Essential Parts of his Art so much, as he ought to have done to render him perfect in it. When he was in Italy, he lost his time by Quarrels, and one of them oblig'd him to leave Rome, before he had half finish'd the Course of his Studies. However, his Talent was easy, and he did so many good things in his youth, that the World had conceiv'd great hopes of his being a Master in his Riper Years. The Fine Arts being interrupted by the Civil Wars in France, he Travell'd to Sweden, whither he was tempted to go by the Reputation Queen Christina had for Patronizing Learning and the Arts, but her Majesty employing him only to draw her Portrait [sic], he did not stay long there. The warmth of his Genius wou'd not let him live Idle, so he return'd to France, to seek for Employment. Tho' he did not altogether answer the Expectation of the Curious, in every thing relating to his Profession, yet he kept up his Character by extraordinary Compositions, and by the liveliness of his Expressions, but his Genius not being guided by solid Judgment, it evaporated often into extravagant Conceptions, which, tho' they might for a little while please the Spectator for their novelty and oddness, yet when he began to examine them, he soon found they were wild and unreasonable. He succeeded better in his Landskips than in his History-Painting: He drew the former very well: I have seen divers of them, that are the beautiful effects of his Imagination, and the whimsicalness of them renders them the more agreeable, because there are some very extraordinary things in them, which he study'd after Nature, and perform'd with a ready and easy Hand. 'Tis true, his Sites are not very regular, tho' they are not very Common, neither do they always agree with their Plan. His Pieces are seldom finish'd, and those that are most so, are not always the most fine. He one time laid a Wager with a Friend of his, that he wou'd Paint Twelve Heads after the Life, and as big as the Life, in one day, and he got it. These Heads are not the worst things he ever did. He often made the ground of his Canvas to serve for Hair, not by leaving it uncover'd, but by working the Colours again with the end of his Pencil-Stick.

He did a vast number of Pictures. His most considerable Pieces are, the Gallery of Monsieur de Bretonvilliers, in the Isle of Notre-Dame, and The Seven Works of Mercy, which he Etch'd by himself. That which is most Esteem'd of all his Performances, is, The Martyrdom of Saint Peter, Drawn by him for the May (A Picture which is every Year Painted for the Church of Notre-Dame, and is expos'd on the 1st of May, from whence 'tis call'd the May.) for the Church of Notre-Dame, which is kept as one of the choicest Rarities in that Cathedral. He was a Calvinist, however his Morals and Manners were good, and he was very much valu'd and respected by the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, of which he was Rector. He was at work for the King, in the lower Apartment of the Tuilleries when he dy'd, Anno 1662, being about sixty years of Age.

With modernised spelling:

Sébastien Bourdon.

Born at Montpellier, had a genius so fiery that it would not let him reflect sufficiently, nor study the essential parts of his art so much as he ought to have done to render him perfect in it. When he was in Italy, he lost his time by quarrels, and one of them obliged him to leave Rome before he had half finished the course of his studies. However, his talent was easy, and he did so many good things in his youth that the world had conceived great hopes of his being a master in his riper years.

The fine arts being interrupted by the civil wars in France, he travelled to Sweden, whither he was tempted to go by the reputation Queen Kristina had for patronising learning and the arts; but, Her Majesty employing him only to draw her portrait [sic], he did not stay long there. The warmth of his genius would not let him live idle, so he returned to France to seek for employment.

Though he did not altogether answer the expectation of the curious in everything relating to his profession, yet he kept up his character by extraordinary compositions and by the liveliness of his expressions; but, his genius not being guided by solid judgement, it evaporated often into extravagant conceptions, which, though they might for a little while please the spectator for their novelty and oddness, yet when he began to examine them, he soon found they were wild and unreasonable.

He succeeded better in his landscapes than in his history-painting. He drew the former very well; I have seen diverse of them that are the beautiful effects of his imagination, and the whimsicalness of them renders them the more agreeable because there are some very extraordinary things in them which he studied after nature and performed with a ready and easy hand. 'Tis true, his sites are not very regular, though they are not very common, neither do they always agree with their plan. His pieces are seldom finished, and those that are most so are not always the most fine.

He one time laid a wager with a friend of his that he would paint twelve heads after the life, and as big as the life, in one day, and he got it. These heads are not the worst things he ever did. He often made the ground of his canvas to serve for hair, not by leaving it uncovered, but by working the colours again with the end of his pencilstick.

He did a vast number of pictures. His most considerable pieces are, the gallery of Monsieur de Brétonvilliers, in the isle of Notre Dame, and The Seven Works of Mercy, which he etched by himself. That which is most esteemed of all his performances is The Martyrdom of Saint Peter, drawn by him for the May (A picture which is every year painted for the church of Notre Dame and is exposed on the 1st of May, from whence 'tis called the May.) for the church of Notre Dame, which is kept as one of the choicest rarities in that cathedral.

He was a Calvinist; however, his morals and manners were good, and he was very much valued and respected by the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, of which he was rector. He was at work for the King in the lower apartment of the Tuileries when he died, anno 1662, being about sixty years of age.

English translation (my own):

Sébastien Bourdon.

A native of Montpellier, he possessed a fiery genius that did not permit him to reflect much or apply himself sufficiently to the most essential aspects of his art. The studies he did in Italy were even interrupted by a quarrel that forced him to leave after only a short stay. However, he had an easy genius that enabled him to produce enough good things in his early works to give hope for an extraordinary ability.

The civil wars in France, which suspended work in the fine arts, led him to travel to Sweden, where the reputation of Queen Kristina had attracted him. But, Her Majesty having given him no other employ than to paint her portrait [sic], he did not stay there long; and his fiery genius, unable to accommodate itself to inactivity, soon brought him back to France, seeking opportunities to exercise himself.

If he did not fulfill everything one expected of him, he at least upheld his reputation through extraordinary compositions and vivid expressions. However, as his genius was not guided by sound judgement, it often evaporated into extravagant imaginings which, after initially pleasing the viewer with their piquant bizarreries, descend into savagery upon closer examination.

The same cannot be said of his landscapes — he did them very well; — and I have seen several that are beautiful products of his imagination, made all the more pleasing by their bizarrery, because they incorporate certain extraordinary effects that he studied from nature and executed with a quick and effortless hand. It is true that the settings, which are uncommon, are not very regular and often do not accord with each other in their composition. He finished few of his works, and even the most finished ones are not always the most beautiful.

He once made a bet with a friend that he could paint twelve life-size heads in a single day, and he won. These heads are among the finest that ever came from his brush. He often used the impression of the canvas when he had a task to complete, not by leaving the impression visible, but by revealing it with the tip of his brush.

He produced a number of works, the most significant of which are the gallery of Monsieur de Brétonvilliers on the Île de Notre-Dame, and the Seven Works of Mercy, which he himself etched. The most highly regarded of all these paintings is the Martyrdom of Saint Peter, which he created for the May collection of the church of Notre Dame, and which is preserved there as one of the finest in its collection.

He was a Calvinist by religion, but otherwise of very good morals and highly esteemed in the Académie, of which he was rector. He was working for the King in the lower apartment of the Tuileries when death surprised him in 1662, aged about sixty years.

Above: Sébastien Bourdon.

Above: Kristina, painted by him.

Above: Roger de Piles.

Note: Sébastien Bourdon died not in 1662, but in 1671. He was actually 55 years old (born 1616).