Rebecca and Brian de Bois-Guilbert
The historical tales of Walter Scott were extraordinarily popular in early 19th-century France. They brought to the historical novel a new authenticity, believable characters and exciting plot lines. In the 1820s and 1830s many French artists, particularly those of a younger generation seeking an alternative to classical art and subjects found inspiration in them. The subject of this painting is taken from Scott’s 'Ivanhoe' (published in 1820), chapter XXXI. At the siege of the castle of Torquilstone the beautiful Rebecca, daughter of Isaac the Jew, is abducted by the Norman Templar, Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert. Ulrica, an old Saxon woman who had set fire to the castle, exalts in her vengeful fury at the top of the distant tower. The picture was a popular success at the Paris Salon of 1831. A preparatory sketch is in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Orléans, and a reduced variant, probably not by Cogniet himself, is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York..
1828
Oil on canvas
88.5 x 116.0cm
P279
Images and text © Wallace Collection, 2017
Where you'll find this
The Wallace Collection
Permanent collection