| Abstrakt: |
The exhibition of Ingres's Martyrs de Saint Symphorienat the 1834 Salon provoked one of the most memorable artistic controversies of the nineteenth century. Although couched in terms of aesthetics, the debate over the picture was ultimately rooted in social and political conflicts of the early July Monarchy. Frustrated over the painting's failure to garner universal approbation, Ingres renounced participation in the Salon. This decision amounted to more than a knee-jerk reaction to bad press, however; it was motivated by the artist's growing sense of disillusionment over the official exhibition's inability to accommodate his highly personal, particularized brand of art. |
