Orphée aux Enfers ("Orpheus in the underworld"), by Charles Boulanger de Boisfrémont

Interest in the myth of Orpheus was constant from the 16^th to the 19^th century. Here, it is the tragic lover who is evoked, not the ancient hero participating in the conquest of the Golden Fleece, nor the divine poet, as would frequently be the case in the generation of Romantic painters.

Orpheus descends to the underworld to search for his wife, the nymph Eurydice, bitten by a snake on their wedding day. Thanks to the power of his song, he obtains access to the world of the dead from the gods of the underworld, but above all, he is able to leave with Eurydice with orders not to look at her. This attempt fails, as Orpheus disobeys the orders by turning around to see Eurydice, and loses her a second time.

The subject here is depicted according to the codes of neoclassical painting: the drawing is clear, the lines are accentuated by shadows, the poses are frozen in the manner of ancient bas-reliefs, the porcelain flesh idealizes the muscles... The pyramidal construction is barely moved by a succession of draperies. Solemnity dominates in this painting, which opens onto a high, reddish corridor leading to the Underworld, behind the three Fates.

The imposing dimensions of this painting brought it to the attention of the Salon in 1808, where it was exhibited at the height of the triumph of neoclassical aesthetics. It was precisely at this Salon that Jacques-Louis David, the quintessential neoclassical painter, was named Officer of the Legion of Honor. The painting Charles Boulanger de Boisfrémont was also noticed by the Emperor, who awarded it a gold medal. Charles Landon, the famous Salon commentator, was delighted by the figure of Orpheus, "alone, in despair, pleading, uncertain of his fate", and by the fact that the painter "in a way, surrounded Pluto's throne with flames, the brilliant reflections he uses give the overall effect great brilliance and harmony".

Boulanger de Boisfremont trained first in Rouen, then in Italy during the revolutionary turmoil that forced him into exile.  On his return to Paris, he befriended Pierre-Paul Prud'hon, an artist who steered clear of the overwhelming influence of Jacques-Louis David, and who greatly influenced his style, as can be seen in La Justice et la Vengeance divine poursuivant le crime, a painting by Prud'hon also exhibited at the Salon of 1808. Both artists share the art of allegory, which is both poetic and powerful, but which appears cold and lifeless through its idealization.

Another artist exhibiting at the Salon of 1808 was David's pupil, Anne-Louis Girodet De Roussy-Trioson. His equally monumental painting, Funérailles d'Atala, is imbued with the powerful Marmorean style so dear to Neo-Classicism, but prefigures the beginnings of Romanticism, with a hero driven by passion, scattered strands of hair and powerful, naturalistic musculature.

From the Salon of 1808 onwards, commissions abounded, and the painter built up a loyal clientele who appreciated his mythological scenes. As Marshal Lannes' taste for Prud'hon's work was undeniable, since he owned several of his works at the château de Maisons, we can assume that it was through this channel that the painting arrived at the castle.

Clément Eugene Hellis, Notice historique et critique sur M. Boulanger de Boisfremont, peintre d’histoire, membre de l’Académie de Rouen, Rouen, Impr. D’Emile Periaux, 1838.