Biography of Bellangé Hippolyte
Bellangé Hippolyte, born February 6, 1800 in Paris and died in the same city on April 10, 1866, is a French painter, designer, engraver and lithographer famous for his paintings of battles and military scenes.
Born into a modest family, Joseph-Louis-Hippolyte Bellangé was the son of Pierre-Antoine Bellangé, a carpenter, and Marie-Anne Agnès Quenet. After studying at the Lycée Impérial Bonaparte, he was placed in a trading house before joining the studio of the painter Antoine-Jean Gros in 1816. His fellow students included Richard Parkes Bonington, Eugène Lami, Camille Roqueplan and Paul Delaroche. Bellangé became friends with Nicolas-Toussaint Charlet, with whom he shared a passion for the work of Théodore Géricault. Influenced by Charlet, he turned to lithography, a new technique at the time.
From 1823 to 1835, Bellangé published 15 lithographic albums on military and patriotic subjects, which brought him increasing popularity. He made his debut at the Salon in 1822 and was awarded a second-class medal in 1824. Official recognition came with "Napoleon on his return from Elba" in 1834, which earned him the Knight's Cross of the Legion of Honor. This work was largely engraved and lithographed by the artist himself, followed by large canvases that consolidated his reputation as a military painter. Alongside Charlet and Auguste Raffet, he became one of the leading artists representing soldiers of the Empire.
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In 1837, Bellangé moved to Rouen with his wife and their son Eugène, where he was appointed curator of the museum. Returning to Paris in 1853, he devoted himself to depicting the wars of the Second Empire with works such as "Battle of the Alma" (1855), "Capture of Malakoff" (1858), and "Battle in the Streets of Magenta" (1861). After the success of "Les Deux Amis" (1861), he was promoted to officer of the Legion of Honor. He also renewed his interest in lithography with a series on the Crimean War.
In his later years, Bellangé returned to the Napoleonic epic with works such as "Episode of the Retreat from Russia" (1863) and "The Cuirassiers of Waterloo" (1865). His last painting, "The Guard Dies" (1866), was completed the day before his death. Bellangé is buried in the Montmartre Cemetery in Paris.
During his career, Bellangé exhibited more than 120 canvases and produced approximately 800 lithographs. His works reflect a talent for depicting masses on the battlefield and a deep knowledge of warfare. His ability to render the details and emotions of soldiers, as well as his technical skill, made him a notable figure in 19th-century military painting.
