Diderot on Art and the Salons

Denis Diderot’s art criticism, developed in his reviews of the Paris Salons between 1759 and 1781, is one of the most important bodies of art criticism in the history of modern art. The Salons, as Diderot’s reviews are collectively known, were a sustained engagement with the visual arts of the eighteenth century, and they helped to establish the modern discipline of art criticism. This article examines the central arguments of Diderot’s art criticism, including his philosophy of art, his reviews of the major artists of the period, and his lasting influence on modern art criticism.

The Salons

The Salons were the public exhibitions of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, the official academy of the French painters and sculptors. The exhibitions were held in the Salon Carré of the Louvre, and they were the major public exhibition of contemporary art in France.

The Salons were important cultural events, and they attracted a large public of artists, writers, philosophers, and members of the general public. The exhibitions were also important for the careers of the artists, and the reviews of the Salons could make or break the reputation of an artist.

Diderot began writing his reviews of the Salons in 1759, at the request of a friend who was the editor of a literary periodical. The reviews were published in the periodical, and they quickly became one of the most important sources of art criticism in France.

The Philosophy of Art

Diderot’s art criticism was grounded in a comprehensive philosophy of art, which he developed over the course of his career.

The most important feature of Diderot’s philosophy of art was the emphasis on the moral purpose of art. Art, in Diderot’s view, is not merely a matter of technique and beauty; it is also a matter of moral and intellectual significance. The proper work of art is one that engages the moral and intellectual faculties of the viewer, and that contributes to the development of the moral and intellectual life of the community.

The second important feature was the emphasis on the relationship between art and nature. The proper work of art, in Diderot’s view, is one that is faithful to the observation of nature, and that captures the essential features of the human and the natural world. The artist who works from the observation of nature, rather than from the imitation of the established conventions, is the artist who is most likely to produce works of genuine significance.

The third important feature was the emphasis on the role of the artist in the development of the new philosophy. The artist, in Diderot’s view, is an important contributor to the development of the new philosophy, and the proper relationship between the artist and the philosopher is one of mutual support and collaboration.

The Major Artists

Diderot’s reviews of the Salons include extended discussions of the major artists of the period. The most important are his discussions of Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, Joseph Vernet, and Jean-Baptiste Greuze.

Chardin (1699-1779) was the great still-life and genre painter of the eighteenth century. Diderot admired Chardin for his fidelity to nature, for his ability to capture the essential features of everyday life, and for his refusal to pander to the tastes of the academic establishment. Diderot’s reviews of Chardin’s paintings are among the most beautiful pieces of art criticism ever written.

Vernet (1714-1789) was the great landscape and marine painter of the eighteenth century. Diderot admired Vernet for his ability to capture the variety and the beauty of the natural world, and for his ability to evoke the various moods of the landscape. Diderot’s reviews of Vernet’s paintings are important for their vivid descriptions and for their sensitive analysis of the painter’s technique.

Greuze (1725-1805) was the great genre and moral painter of the eighteenth century. Diderot admired Greuze for his moral seriousness, for his ability to engage the moral sentiments of the viewer, and for his ability to combine the techniques of the established tradition with the new moral seriousness of the Enlightenment. Diderot’s reviews of Greuze’s paintings are important for their engagement with the moral implications of the new philosophy of art.

The Lasting Influence

Diderot’s art criticism has had a lasting influence on the development of modern art criticism. The reviews of the Salons are a basic reference for the modern discipline of art criticism, and they have been studied and imitated by art critics ever since.

The most important lasting influence of Diderot’s art criticism is the establishment of the modern conception of the role of the art critic. The art critic, in Diderot’s view, is not merely a reporter of the exhibitions; he is an active participant in the development of the artistic culture, and his role is to engage the works of art with the full range of his moral and intellectual faculties. The contemporary practice of art criticism, with its emphasis on the engagement of the works of art with the contemporary intellectual and moral concerns, is a direct descendant of Diderot’s example.

The Salons

The Philosophy of Art

The Major Artists

The Lasting Influence

Further Reading