Image Writing and Pictorial Hieroglyphics: Theory and Practice of Artistic Creation in the Work of Claude-François Ménestrier (1631–1705) L’écrivain des images et ses hiéroglyphes picturaux: théorie et pratique de la création artistique chez Claude-François Ménestrier (1631-1705)
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28 juin 2024
- ISIDORE Id: 10670/1.4f3e34...
- hal: hal-04998164
- doi: 10.54664/QAHY7996
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Mots-clés
Ephemeral Art Art theory Hieroglyphics 17th century Artistic collaboration Egyptomania Claude-François Ménestrier Thomas Blanchet Pierre-Paul Sevin Painting Iconography Iconology Allegory Lyon Art history Grand Siècle Grand décor Grand Siècle Grand décor Histoire de l'art Art jésuite Rhétorique visuelle Egyptomanie Réception de l'Egypte antique à l'époque moderne Allégorie Mythologie IconologieSujets proches
Western art (Western countries) Fine arts Iconography Arts, Fine Art, Occidental Arts, Visual Visual arts Occidental art Art, Visual Art, Western (Western countries)Citer ce document
Nikola Piperkov, « L’écrivain des images et ses hiéroglyphes picturaux: théorie et pratique de la création artistique chez Claude-François Ménestrier (1631-1705) », HAL SHS (Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société), ID : 10.54664/QAHY7996
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The French Jesuit brother Claude-François Ménestrier (1631–1705) can be described as an image writer, a.k.a. iconographer (from gr. εἰκών, ‘image,’ and γράφειν, ‘to write’). He received commissions for ephemeral decorations, fireworks and grand décor ceiling paintings by the Archbishop of Lyon, the King of France and the Duke of Savoy for almost 50 years. Despite its great success, this practice remained very unusual in the 17th century, for Ménestrier did not know how to draw. His “pictorial” inventions were entirely dependent on ekphrastic instructions, meaning that in order to take real shape, his imagination required the intervention of a draftsman, a “pictorial hand.” This article highlights two problems inherent to this collaborative practice. The first one concerns the artistic collaboration itself, which was extremely complicated to organize and handle. The second one is about the conceptual gap that separates Ménestrier from his collaborators. He has a personal image theory in which pictorial compositions are described as “talking images,” “pictorial texts,” or “hieroglyphs.” In other words, Ménestier’s images are designed as tools for visual communication that have very little to do with the actual painting technique and very much with linguistics and semiotics.
