Famous, Feted and Forgotten - Lecture 2 - Meissonier and Microscopic Masterpieces

When Napoleon III wanted to impress Queen Victoria, he could think of nothing more prestigious than the gift of the Meissonier Flemish style painting The Quarrel. Meissonier worked with elaborate care, sometimes taking 10 years to finish a painting one foot square, and built a rail track in his garden so he could keep pace with the galloping horse he was painting. This eccentric, who was admired internationally, amassed a fortune and every honor yet, paradoxically, broke away from the Salon and backed the Independent painters. A study of this forgotten “genius” gives insight into the tensions in the 19th century art profession. This lecture was recorded on 11 August 2010.