Louis-Léopold Boilly (1761-1845), French painter and printmaker, best known for his intimate scenes of everyday life. While his early work featured light-hearted scenes in a rococo style, he later turned to political subjects and portraits, a reflection of the changes in society following the French Revolution(1789-1799). He was also known for trompe l’oeil still-lifes—paintings so realistic that they are said to “fool the eye.” In addition, Boilly was one of the first artists to experiment with lithography, using this new printmaking technique to distribute more widely his scenes of contemporary life.
Born near Lille, France, Boilly began painting as a youth and moved to Paris in 1785 to exhibit works at the Salon, an important annual exhibit of works chosen by the Académie des Beaux Arts (Academy of Fine Arts). He painted what were known as scènes gallants, scenes of seduction and flirtation. The playful themes, intimate settings, and luxurious textures of his paintings from this period show the influence of French rococo painters Jean-Honoré Fragonard and Jean-Baptiste Greuze, as well as Dutch Baroque painters such as Gabriel Metsu. Boilly’s The Jealous Lover (1791, Musée Sandelin, Saint Omer, France) shows an old man angrily confronting a young woman and her hidden lover. The lighthearted scene derives its subject from an opera.
In 1794, during the political unrest of the French Revolution, an arts society formed under the new government accused Boilly of corrupting the public with immoral engravings. In response, Boilly began to address social issues in his work. Emphasizing the reactions of the common people, the Triumph of Marat (1794, Musée des Beaux-arts, Lille) shows Marat, a hero of the French Revolution, held up victoriously by French citizens.
Boilly is said to have painted over 5000 portraits in his lifetime. One example, The Geography Lesson (1812, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas), depicts Monsieur Gaudry, a member of the administration of Napoleon I, instructing his daughter. With crisp details and subtle gestures, it portrays an affectionate family scene.
