L’exil des peintres écossais en Italie au dix-huitième siècle

Abstract

The Scottish painters' exile in Italy in the eighteenth century In the eighteenth century, a visit to Italy was considered by many as essential in the career of a painter. Although contemporary Italian painting was not as prestigious as before, Rome was still the artistic centre of continental Europe and attracted many artists eager to complete their training and to find patrons among the aristocrats on the Grand Tour. 1 As President of the Royal Academy, Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792) stressed the importance of a stay in Italy to enable young painters to study the works of the Renaissance masters. 2 Not all English artists agreed with Reynolds; William Hogarth (1697-1764), for instance, staunchly opposed the idea of going abroad to copy and imitate foreign artists. 3 For Scottish painters,