Masterpieces of the Museums of France »Découvrir, aimer, partager«

Előszó

History painting and Egyptomania by Gitted Chomer Máé* pruented to Pbaraob is the simpliFied title of the immense painting by Victor Orsel1 now on display once more in the Musée de Lyon, in its magnificent new setting in the tribüné of the chapel of the former convent of the Dames de Saint-Pierre. Painted in Italy from a small sketch drawn in Paris in 1821 with no particular destination in mind, exhibited with somé success at the Capitol in Romé in 1830 and at the Paris Sálon of 1831, the painting was bought by the city of Lyon and delivered that same year. No time was lost in putting it on display, and for the following century it was to be the chef d'ceuvre - accompanied by a detailed explanatory note drawn up by the city authorities2 - of the gallery devoted to painters native to Lyon. There it stayed until the 1930s, when it was moved to the École Supérieure des Industries Textiles in Lyon, where unfortunately it was hung in a spot where students tended to brush past it. In 1972, it was returned to the museum in poor condition, remaining rolled up in store until 13 December 1990. At this point, after it had been unrolled and evaluated, the decision was taken to put it back on a stretcher and restore it according to scientific principles: a process duly carried out in exemplary fashion thanks to the combined efforts of the Musée de Lyon, the Mission de la Communication de la Direction des Musées de Francé, the Service de Restauration des Musées de Francé and the Banque Nationale de Paris, which sponsored the restoration under its Poar /'Art scheme. JTTaving vanished from the gallery walls, Victor Orsel's work was gradually forgottén. It is revealing that a work of such importance should have been completely overlooked, for instance, in the monumental catalogue that accompanied the recent exhibition entitled EgyptomaniaYet by virtue of its date, its visual details and - above all - its close proximity to Champollion's great breakthrough in the decipherment of hieroglyphs, Aíojej occupies a special place in the passión for all things Egyptian which swept the nineteenth century and which today remains as strong as ever. /. Can vaj. Height 3.26m; wűth 431m. Signed and dated in the tower right-hand corner 'V. ORSEL/ROME - 1830'. Inventory no. A 145. 2. Mo'íse présenté á Pharaon. Tabteau peint á Romé par M. Victor Orsel. Exposé au Musée de Lyon (1830), Lyon, hnprimerie de Lollit Perrin., 2pp. 3. Egyptomania, L'Égypte dans l'art Occidental (1730-1930), Parit, Ottawa, Vienna, 1994-5 (exhibition catalogue), 605pp. Vissza