Marie-Joséphine-Angélique Mongez, née Levol (1 May 1775 – 20 February 1855) was a French Neoclassical artist. She studied under

Jean-Baptiste Regnault Jean-Baptiste Regnault (; 9 October 1754 – 12 November 1829) was a French painter. Biography Regnault was born in Paris, and began life at sea in a merchant vessel. At the age of fifteen his talent attracted attention, and he was sent to ...

and

Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in ...

and produced historical paintings. She was the first woman to become a

history painter History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek mythology, Greek and Roman my ...

during the post French Revolution era. Mongez started studying under

in the early 1790s and then, after mastering the basics, she became a pupil of

, who at the time was one of the leaders of the Neoclassical movement in France. Her work was featured at a number of salons between 1802 and 1827. Some male reviewers criticized her for including depictions of nudity in her work.

Personal life

Marie-Joséphine-Angélique Levol was born on 1 May 1775 in Conflans-l'Archevèque, near Paris, to Marcel-Sulpice Levol and Marie-Louise Papillon. She married Antoine Mongez, a Director of the Mint, classical scholar and naturalist, who was 28 years older than her. He was also an author of books on arithmetic and algebra for women and published several books on ancient culture, including four volumes called ''Dictionnaire d'Antiquité'' in 1804, which were illustrated by his wife. His brother was the mineralogist,

Jean-André Mongez Jean-André Mongez (21 November 1750 – May 1788) was a French priest and mineralogist. He is presumed to have died at Vanikoro, on the La Pérouse expedition. Life Mongez was born in Lyon. He joined the canons regulars of Sainte-Genevièv ...

. They had a son, Irénée-Alexandre, born in 1803 and died in Paris on November 15, 1808. They actually married three times. On 9 June, 1792, accompanied by

Bon-Joseph Dacier Bon Joseph Dacier ( Valognes, 1 April 1742 – Paris, 4 February 1833) was a French historian, philologist and translator of ancient Greek. He became a Chevalier de l'Empire (16 December 1813), then Baron de l'Empire (29 May 1830). He also serve ...

, his colleague at the academy, Lacepede and the Abbe Sieyes, Mongez and Angelique were married in a civil ceremony. When a new law relating to civil status had been enacted, they complied with all that it required, and on 1 July 1793, they again presented themselves before a civil registrar for marriage. Much later, a writ from Pope

Pius VII Pope Pius VII (; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823) was head of the Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. He ruled the Papal States from June 1800 to 17 May 1809 and again ...

authorized them to marry according to the canons of the Church; which they did on 26 October 1814, in their parish of

Saint-Germain-des-Prés Saint-Germain-des-Prés () is one of the four administrative quarters of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its official borders are the River Seine on the nor ...

Works

Angelique Mongez - Les sept chefs devant Thebes

Mongez established herself as a Neoclassical

from the outset of her career, boldly disregarding criticisms related to her gender. Throughout her professional journey, she maintained not only her studio at the Mint but also acquired two additional smaller studios. Until her passing, Mongez's dedication to Davidian painting was evident in her diverse body of work, ranging from engravings to framed drawings, portraits, busts, and beyond. Her personal inventory of possessions within these studios alone stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment to her craft. Mongez’ principle works include her first major painting, ''

Astyanax In Greek mythology, Astyanax (; ''Astyánax'', "lord of the city") was the son of Hector, the crown prince of Troy, and of his wife, Princess Andromache of Cilician Thebe."Astyanax". ''Oxford Classical Dictionary''. Oxford, 1949, p. 101 (''s.v. ...

Snatched from His Mother'' (1802), ''

Alexander Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here ar ...

Weeping Over the Death of the Wife of

Darius I Darius I ( ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West A ...

'' (1804), ''

Theseus Theseus (, ; ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes desc ...

and

Pirithous Pirithous (; or , derived from ; also transliterated as Perithous), in Greek mythology, was the King of the Lapiths of Larissa in Thessaly, as well as best friend to Theseus. Biography Pirithous was a son of "heavenly" Dia, fathered either ...

'' (1806), ''

Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...

in Hell'' (1808), ''The Death of

Adonis In Greek mythology, Adonis (; ) was the mortal lover of the goddesses Aphrodite and Persephone. He was considered to be the ideal of male beauty in classical antiquity. The myth goes that Adonis was gored by a wild boar during a hunting trip ...

'' (1810), ''

Perseus In Greek mythology, Perseus (, ; Greek language, Greek: Περσεύς, Romanization of Greek, translit. Perseús) is the legendary founder of the Perseid dynasty. He was, alongside Cadmus and Bellerophon, the greatest Greek hero and slayer of ...

and Andromeda'' (1812), ''Mars and Venus'' (1814), '' Saint Martin Sharing his Cloak with a Beggar'' (1819), and her last Salon exhibit ''The Seven Against Thebes'' (1827). Her subjects emulated the French academic masters, and were comparable to subjects set for the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

competitions, which she could not enter due to her sex. However, her work rivaled if not surpassed the work typically seen in the Prix de Rome. Her paintings contained more dynamic compositions and female nudity, something that her male contemporaries were prohibited from depicting within the confines of the Prix de Rome. Mongez often included nude figures in most of her works, which was significant for several reasons: her emulation of David's work; a demonstration of her grasp of the most difficult technical aspects of painting; and a confirmation of her understanding of the most modern developments in neoclassical historical painting. However, she received many comments in regards to her inclusion of the male nude in her paintings, despite her married status. Her work was troubling to notions of morality and conceptions of femininity of the time, specifically among sections of the bourgeoisie. Despite this, she received state encouragement and radical class support, as well as patronage from the Russian Prince Youssoupov and

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...

, whose portrait she painted after the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

. Her connections with David helped her to sell her works to the prince for a grand total of 6000 francs.

Selected works

File:Theseus and Pirithous, 1806, by Angelique Mongez.jpg, ''Theseus and Pirithoüs Clearing the Earth of Brigands, Deliver Two Women from the Hands of their Abductors'', 1806 (

Arkhangelskoye Palace Arkhangelskoye () is a historical estate in Krasnogorsky District, Moscow Oblast, Russia, located around 20 km to the west of Moscow and 2 km southwest of Krasnogorsk. History From 1703 to 1810, Arkhangelskoye belonged to the Golit ...

) File:Mongez TheseusAndPirithous MIA 9772.jpg, ''

and

,'' drawing, after the painting exhibited at the

Salon of 1806 The Salon of 1806 was an art exhibition held at the Louvre in Paris. During the Napoleonic era the Salon was held biannually and featured paintings, sculptures and engravings. Military conquest was the theme of the exhibition, featuring numerous r ...

File:Mongez Mars et Venus.jpg, ''Mars and Venus,'' 1841 (replica of the painting exhibited at the

Salon of 1814 The Salon of 1814 was an art exhibition held at the Louvre in Paris from 5 November 1814. It was the first Salon to be held since the defeat of Napoleon and the Bourbon Restoration that brought Louis XVIII to the throne. It featured a mixture of ...

) File:Louis XVIII by Angelique Mongez.jpg, ''Portrait of Louis XVIII'', 1815 File:Angelique Mongez - Mort de Darius.jpg, ''The Death of Darius'', 1838 File:LedruRollin by Mongez.jpg, ''Portrait of Alexandre Ledru-Rollin'', 1838 File:Angelique Mongez - Saint Martin (Grosrouvre).jpg, ''Saint Martin Sharing His Cloak with a Beggar'', circa 1841 (copy of the painting exhibited at the

Salon of 1819 The Salon of 1819 was an art exhibition held at the Louvre in Paris between 25 August and 30 September 1819. It was the largest Salon to be staged since the fall of Napoleon. It took place during the Restoration era with Louis XVIII on the thron ...

)

Artistic community

Mongez was the pupil of Regnault and David during the 1790s, and was already recognized by the leaders of the Neoclassical movement in France at that time. It was through David that she met Mongez, of whom he was a friend, and

Jean-Paul Marat Jean-Paul Marat (, , ; born Jean-Paul Mara; 24 May 1743 – 13 July 1793) was a French political theorist, physician, and scientist. A journalist and politician during the French Revolution, he was a vigorous defender of the ''sans-culottes ...

. His paintings were all in the historical genre. They helped persuade Mongez to pursue a similar course as she had long been interested in historical costume and dress. Her husband provided the verification for the accuracy of her paintings. In return, she illustrated 380 figures in the ''Dictionnaire d'Antiquité, of'' which her husband composed the text. Angélique Mongez exhibited at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

for the first time in 1802 and continued until 1827. At the Salon of 1804, she received the first-class gold medal and received another in 1827. She was the first woman to exhibit a large-scale storyboard at the Salon. ''Astyanax Snatched From His Mother'', a picture which she exhibited at the

Salon of 1802 The Salon of 1802 was an art exhibition held at the Louvre in Paris during the era of the French Consulate. It was held the same year as the Treaty of Amiens that ended the French Revolutionary Wars. Staged by the former Académie Royale it featur ...

provoked much debate among the critics. For ''Le Journal des Arts,'' the painting was one of the finest works of the modern school; yet other critics attributed the most beautiful parts to David. Jean-Baptiste Boutard, of the ''

Journal des Débats The ''Journal des débats'' (, ''Journal of Debates'') was a French newspaper, published between 1789 and 1944 that changed title several times. Created shortly after the first meeting of the Estates-General of 1789, it was, after the outbreak ...

'', wrote: "It is quite agreed that this painting is, in more than one part, a masterpiece." At the next Salon (1804), Angelique Mongez exhibited another great figure of history: ''Alexander Weeping Over the Death of the Wife of Darius I'', for which she received a gold medal. In 1806 she exhibited ''Theseus and Pirithous'', a large painting that was purchased by Prince Youssoupoff, a great collector of French Neoclassical paintings. The canvas was openly criticized for the nakedness of the two characters. Femininity and history painting were then judged incompatible; the modesty of women demanded it. Several critics even thought that Mongez should stop painting historical subjects and devote herself exclusively to themes more appropriate to her sex, which she refused to do. Under the Restoration she made a portrait of Louis XVIII. In 1827, the critic

Étienne-Jean Delécluze Etienne-Jean Delécluze () (26 February 1781 – 12 July 1863) was a French painter and critic. From 1797 on, he was a pupil of Jacques-Louis David, as he describes in his biography of David. As one of his favorite pupils, he was invited t ...

wrote of her ''The Seven Against Thebes'' (now in

Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers The Musée des beaux-arts d'Angers is a museum of art located in a mansion, the "logis Barrault", place Saint-Éloi near the historic city of Angers, western France. Building The museum is part of the Toussaint complex, which includes the gar ...

): "Madame Mongez imitated David. The

Romulus Romulus (, ) was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of th ...

of the

Sabines The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...

reappears there in all its nakedness." Stéphanie Dermoncourt of the

Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon The Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon (, ) is a municipal museum of fine arts in the French city of Lyon. Located near the Place des Terreaux, it is housed in a former Benedictine convent which was active during the 17th and 18th centuries. It was res ...

says that her figure of

Polystratus In Greek mythology, Polystratus (Ancient Greek: Πολύστρατος) was a handsome youth beloved by Heracles. Mythology Polystratus was solely known from an epigram An epigram is a brief, interesting, memorable, sometimes surprising or s ...

carrying water to Darius is very similar to the

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family. ...

Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( ; ; 29 August 1780 – 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...

. Later, this art historian indicates, "…the style of Madame Mongez seems to have evolved towards the art of Ingres". She never gave up history painting and created, a year before her death, a ''Christ on the Cross'' (1854) for the church of Saint Peter in Charenton.

Death and legacy

Mongez died in Paris on 20 February 1855. She has received renewed attention since the late 1990s. She appears in several articles and books devoted to women painters of the Post-Revolutionary period. Several authors have examined the conditions that allowed her to become a history painter, despite the conventions of the time.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mongez, Angelique 1775 births 1855 deaths Neoclassical painters French women painters People from Val-de-Marne