Lionel Royer

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Biography and œuvre

Lionel Royer was born in Château-du-Loir in Sarthe on December 25, 1852. Volunteered at less than 18 years of age for the Prussian war and took part in the battle of Loigny on December 2 1870 with General Athanase de Charrette de la Contrie. Contrie, having noticed Royer drew well, made him an offer to finance his study at the Art schools of Paris.

Royer became a pupil of Alexandre Cabanel and of Bouguereau. He obtained the prix de Rome in 1882. He became a portraitist and especially a painter of history. His most known works are "Vercingétorix throwing his weapons at the feet of Caesar" (1899) and the decoration of the basilica of Domrémy dedicated to Joan of Arc. With the one of the illustrated supplements of newspapers of the era, he was the commentator of his time, in particular when he painted "Alfred Dreyfus in his prison" or "Auguste Comte and his three muses". In remembering his participation in the battle of Loigny, he gave two tableaus to the rebuilt church of this village, one representing the mass gathering by the volunteers before leaving for the battle and the second depicting the night anguish general of Sonis on the battlefield. In 1897, he made a gift at the Historical and Archaeological Company of Maine - & nbsp; it was member like was also Albert Maignan & nbsp; - of the ten aquarellées models representing the "Life of Joan of Arc", carried out with the tenth and presented in 1893 to the contest of the canopies of Orlean Cathedral, which it will not carry out. "The scenes of battles in Orleans in front of the fortress of Turrets or with Compiegne offer to Royer, painter of history, to give its measurement to compose the tangle of the bodies vêtus of armours and the sets of lances. To cause the emotion, the allegory and the marvellous one come to assistance of the history. [...] Lionel Royer is based on the historical spot, quoted with precision. [...] Jeanne, ahead and isolated, is the instrument which suggests with the political arena and nun a possible reconciliation. [...] By the evocative synthesis that it carries out and the "sentiment" that it introduces into this cycle, the painter leaves the judgement to the ideas of chacun." (Chantal Bouchon). Lionel Royer takes again this johannic iconography (assisted Charles Lorin of Chartres] as Master-glassmaker) with the basilica of Domrémy. In the canopy of the "Deposit of the sword of Fierbois by a ange", the face of Xaintrailles carries the features of the architect Paul Sédille." Though impressed historicism in the characters with the reminiscences raphaélesques and almost ingresques, these canopies have a connotation of call to revenge, in this place of Domrémy so charged with symbolism." (Chantal Bouchon).

He had two girls and a son. The son, engaged in the priesthood, was injured in World War I and died shortly after. The two girls left descendants one in France, the other in Belgium. Lionel Royer died in Neuilly-sur-Seine in July 1926.

External Links: Lionel Noel Royer Biography and
http://www.southcoastfineart.com/inventory_eur_royer.htm]

Bibliography

*"Painting History - Lionel Royer", in "Historical and Archaeological review of Maine", Mans, 1998 (reprod. 10 scenes of the "Life of Joan of Arc" by Lionel Royer: Domrémy, Vaucouleurs, Chinon, Orleans, Rheims, Compiegne, Rouen).
*Chantal Stopper, "Canopies of Jeanne d' Arc - Participation of the manceaux artists in the Contests of Orleans at the end of the XIX E century: Eugene Hucher, Albert Maignan, Lionel Royer", in "Historical and Archaeological review of Maine", Mans, 1998,3 E T.18 series, volume CXLIX of the Collection, p.241 - 256.