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Auguste de Forbin Most Popular Paintings

The 7 artworks by Auguste de Forbin our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented one by one, with the specification and the price of each hand-painted reproduction.

Edition 2026 · 7 artworks Each artwork painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Auguste de Forbin · 1777 – 1841

RUINES D'ASCALON EN SYRIE

The Louvre, Paris

Admire Auguste de Forbin's "Ruines d'Ascalon en Syrie," a Romantic landscape painting depicting ancient ruins near a river, capturing grandeur and decay with masterful brushstrokes.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 1 of 14 artworks by Auguste de Forbin
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

VUE DE JERUSALEM, PRISE DE LA VALLEE DE JOSAPHAT

The Louvre, Paris

Admire 'Vue de Jérusalem' by Auguste de Forbin! This Romantic masterpiece captures the city’s grandeur with dramatic skies and detailed architecture. A stunning historical painting.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 2 of 14 artworks by Auguste de Forbin
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$20037 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

VUE D'UN CLOITRE SUR LES BORDS DE LA MEDITERRANEE, PRES DE CARRARE

The Louvre, Paris

Auguste de Forbin (1777 – 1841) painted ‘Vue d’un Cloître sur les bords de la Méditerranée, près de Carrare,’ a monumental seascape featuring a cloister building against the backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea. Created in 1830 and donated to Charles X, this artwork exemplifies Romantic idealism blended with Napoleonic pragmatism.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 3 of 14 artworks by Auguste de Forbin
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17529 × 35 cm Commission this artwork

VUE DE CAZZAFANI, DANS L'ILE DE CHYPRE

The Louvre, Paris

A hauntingly beautiful, damaged oil painting by Auguste de Forbin depicting a ruined landscape. Explore this melancholic work of realism & abstract elements – a ghostly remnant of art history.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 4 of 14 artworks by Auguste de Forbin
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17537 × 27 cm Commission this artwork

VUE INTERIEURE DU CLOITRE SAINT SAUVEUR A AIX EN PROVENCE

The Louvre, Paris

Auguste de Forbin's 'Vue intérieure du cloître Saint Sauveur à Aix-en-Provence' is a meticulously detailed 19th-century academic oil painting depicting the interior courtyard of Saint Sauveur Cloister in Aix-en-Provence. Characterized by earthy tones, strong vertical lines, and atmospheric perspective, this artwork embodies tranquility and reverence for architectural heritage.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 5 of 14 artworks by Auguste de Forbin
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17527 × 37 cm Commission this artwork

Vue de la Porte Saint Paul à Rome, effet du matin

The Louvre, Paris

Experience the tranquil dawn over Rome's Porta San Paolo in this Romantic landscape by Auguste de Forbin; discover this atmospheric masterpiece today.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 6 of 14 artworks by Auguste de Forbin
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$17536 × 28 cm Commission this artwork

VUE INTERIEURE DU CLOITRE DE SANTA MARIA NOVELLA A FLORENCE

The Louvre, Paris

Explore Auguste de Forbin's serene depiction of Santa Maria Novella cloister—a Romantic masterpiece capturing architectural grandeur and contemplative stillness through meticulous detail.

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Popularity: No. 7 of 14 artworks by Auguste de Forbin
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$22534 × 29 cm Commission this artwork

The artist

Auguste de Forbin

1777 – 1841

Quick facts

Best occasionsaccent, statement
Copyright statusPublic domain
Also known asLouis Nicolas Philippe Auguste Forbin, Louis Nicolas Philippe Auguste, Comte de Forbin, Comte de Forbin, M. Forbin, Auguste, Comte de Forbin
Born1777, La Roque-d'Anthéron, France
Top 3 worksRUINES D'ASCALON EN SYRIE, VUE DE JERUSALEM, PRISE DE LA VALLEE DE JOSAPHAT, VUE D'UN CLOITRE SUR LES BORDS DE LA MEDITERRANEE, PRES DE CARRARE
Mediumsoil on canvas
Creative periodsmature period
Works on APS14

Biography

A Life Forged in the Crucible of Revolution

The life of Auguste de Forbin (1777–1841) was a dramatic tapestry woven from the threads of nobility, tragedy, and profound political transformation. Born into the aristocratic splendor of Château La Roque-d’Anthéron in Provence, Forbin’s early years were marked by an extraordinary precocity; it is said he possessed the ability to draw before he had even mastered the art of writing. This innate talent was nurtured through a lifelong bond with his contemporary, François Marius Granet, a friendship that would serve as a cornerstone for their shared artistic evolution. However, the tranquility of his noble upbringing was shattered by the violent tremors of the French Revolution. During the Lyon insurrection of 1793, Forbin suffered the devastating loss of both his father, the Marquis de Pont-à-Mousson, and his uncle. This early encounter with mortality and political upheaval left an indelible mark on his psyche, instilling a sensitivity to the ephemeral nature of power and the inevitable decay of even the most grand structures.

Despite the shadows cast by personal loss, Forbin’s ascent within the Parisian art world was nothing short of meteoric. The Directory provided him with the ultimate gateway to prestige: entry into the legendary studio of Jacques-Louis David. Within this neoclassical sanctuary, Forbin absorbed the rigorous discipline and formal precision that defined the era's dominant aesthetic. Collaborating closely with Granet, he refined a technique that balanced the structured ideals of Neoclassicism with an emerging, soulful Romanticism. His journey was not merely one of academic study but a physical pilgrimage through the heart of classical civilization, most notably during his transformative travels to Rome in 1804. In the vibrant, intellectual atmosphere of Roman society, Forbin immersed himself in the grandeur of antiquity, a period that would forever inform the spiritual and historical weight of his later compositions.

The Romantic Vision: Landscapes of Memory and Decay

As his style matured, Forbin’s work began to transcend mere topographical representation, moving toward a deeply emotive exploration of the sublime. His canvases became windows into a world where history and nature converged in moments of poignant melancholy. In masterpieces such as “Vue de Cazzafani, dans l'île de Chypre,” Forbin utilized a masterful blend of realism and evocative abstraction to capture the relentless passage of time. These landscapes were rarely just scenery; they were visceral encounters with the ghosts of bygone eras, where crumbling ruins served as metaphors for the fragility of human ambition. His ability to render the texture of decay—the way light falls upon weathered stone or how shadows cling to ancient walls—allowed him to communicate a sense of loss that resonated deeply with the Romantic movement's fascination with the ephemeral.

This preoccupation with historical narrative and spiritual grandeur is perhaps most evident in his depictions of the Levant and the Holy Land. In works like “Vue de Jérusalem, prise de la vallée de Josaphat,” painted in 1825, Forbin constructed meticulously crafted tableaus that sought to capture the sacred weight of the ancient city. Through a sophisticated use of light and composition, he invited viewers to contemplate the intersection of the divine and the earthly. Whether painting the sun-drenched ruins of Ascalon or the quiet cloisters of Aix-en-Provence, Forbin’s brushwork remained deeply informed by his early training under David, yet it was infused with a new, restless energy that sought to find beauty in the wreckage of history.

Legacy of a Curator and Antiquary

Beyond the canvas, Auguste de Forbin occupied a position of immense cultural significance within the French state. His expertise as an antiquary and his profound understanding of classical aesthetics led him to succeed the great Vivant Denon as the curator of the Musée du Louvre and other vital French museums. In this capacity, he was not merely a keeper of objects but a guardian of national heritage, navigating the complex responsibilities of managing one of the world's most significant collections during a period of intense political transition. His career, which intertwined military service, diplomatic missions, and museum administration, reflects the multifaceted nature of an intellectual caught between the pragmatic demands of the Napoleonic era and the idealistic pursuits of the Romantic age.

The historical significance of Forbin lies in his ability to bridge disparate worlds:

Stylistic Synthesis: He successfully merged the disciplined, linear precision of Davidian Neoclassicism with the emotive, atmospheric depth of Romanticism.
Cultural Stewardship: As a curator, he played a pivotal role in shaping the public's engagement with classical and historical art within the Louvre.
Thematic Depth: His oeuvre remains a profound meditation on the themes of memory, the passage of time, and the enduring power of ruins.

Today, Forbin is remembered not just as a painter of landscapes, but as an artist who captured the very soul of a changing Europe, documenting the transition from the structured certainties of the old world to the turbulent, searching spirit of the new.

Questions & Answers

What moods do Auguste de Forbin's artworks express?

The Mood Room of Auguste de Forbin is a page that arranges the artist's artworks by mood.

Is there a 3D virtual tour of Auguste de Forbin's works?

The 3D Museum of Auguste de Forbin is a page that displays the artist's artworks in a virtual three-dimensional gallery.

How is Auguste de Forbin's career divided into periods?

A chronological account of Auguste de Forbin's work is available on the artist's Chronicle page, where the artworks pass in order of creation, chapter by chapter.

By the ArtsDot.com Editorial Team Updated Sept. 27, 2026

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