Louis Etienne Watelet (1780–1866) - Panorama on a cathedral

Louis Étienne WATELET
(Paris, 1780 – Paris, 1866)

Panorama of the river, a cathedral in the distance

Oil on canvas
24.5 x 32.5 cm

Son of a merchant haberdashery, Louis Étienne Watelet was born in Paris on August 25, 1780.
This landscape painter, reputed to be self-taught, would nevertheless seem to have frequented the studios of Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes (1750-1819) and Georges Malbeste (1754-1843). His official debut dates to 1799 with his first submission to the Paris Salon. He would then be there regularly and would obtain a second gold medal in 1810 then a first gold medal nine years later in 1819 and would end up being made a knight of the Legion of Honor in 1825.

A traveling painter and prolific in his art, he traveled as much through the South of France as through Savoy, Italy, Belgium and the Tyrol. He also crisscrossed the countryside of Île-de-France going as far as Normandy. It was probably in the Seine Valley that our painter's easel was set up. Could it not be the Notre-Dame cathedral in Rouen with the Saint Vivien church almost at its chevet? However, it is difficult to say for sure, even if Watelet exhibited a view of Rouen at the 1831 Salon…
It should be noted that Louis-Étienne regularly called on his painter friends such as Demarne, Taunay and Hippolyte Lecomte to paint the characters in his compositions.

Apart from practicing his art, Watelet also took on the role of teacher from the 1810s onwards. Indeed, he set up a workshop that was renowned enough in his time to see many students pass through who were later more than recognized. We can cite among others Théodore Caruelle d’Aligny, Edouard Bertin, Abel Dufresne, Propert Barbot, Pierre Thuillier, Paul Delaroche and Louis-Auguste Lapito.

The artist died in Paris on June 19, 1866.

Museums: Paris (Mus. du Louvre), Carcassonne, Vienna, Valenciennes, Montpellier, Coutances, Dijon, Versailles, Le Puy-en-Velay, Nimes…

Even if our painting is not signed by the artist, the latter can easily be given to him by the blue and green tones used, giving the composition a fresh, not to say cold, light characteristic of the master. In addition, another version comparable to ours in all respects - except for the figures - and signed this time by his hand is known to us.