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Article: Spanish paintings' influence on French artists. (Museums Today).(Manet/Velazquez: The French Taste for Spanish Painting)
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- May 1, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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IN 1779, 14 years before founding the Musee du Louvre in Paris, Charles-Claude Flahaut wrote to the French ambassador's office in Madrid, stating, "I know there must be paintings by the great masters lost and forgotten in the attics of Spain, which the dealers have yet to explore. It occurred to me that one ought to be able to find inexpensive ... Velazquezes, Murillos, etc., which would enhance the king's magnificent collection at little cost." So began the French obsession with Spanish painting, one pursued by emperors and kings, generals and ambassadors, and writers and artists throughout the 19th century.
The French fascination with Spanish painting is ...