Tratando da construção imagética de uma identidade social dos artistas europeus no século 19, o autor analisa retratos e autorretratos de artistas oficiais ou independentes, retratos coletivos realizados por pintores das duas categorias, e toda sorte de produção visual veiculando ideias sobre a vida desses personagens. Por um lado, se observa a difusão da imagem do gênio incompreendido que se impôs como uma condição do "verdadeiro artista" de vanguarda. Por outro, a representação de si mesmos como profissionais dedicados e bem sucedidos se tornou uma forma de justificativa social para os artistas ligados ao sistema oficial. Em ambos os casos, tais representações atestam transformações sociais e mudanças econômicas que atingiram essa categoria profissional no século 19 e no início do século 20.

The illustration that Norman Rockwell published in 1962 on the cover of a popular magazine presents an image of the symbolic confrontation between ancient figurative art and the new abstract art. This unpretentious image is at the center of animated debates on the artistic value of avant-garde trends and pleasingly illustrates the question of the reaction of the anonymous spectator to the stylistic experimentations of pictorial modernity. Rockwell's Connoisseur nevertheless does not answer the question that Life posed to its readers in 1948: "Is modern art, considered as a whole, a good or a bad development? That is to say is it something that responsible people can support, or may they neglect it as a minor and impermanent phase of culture?"

The sculpted representation of painters constitutes a definite manner of celebrating Great Men in 19th century statuary. this study reconsiders this particular iconographical aspect og the "statuomanie" of the period, which was manifested in small formats as well as monumental sculpture, and which was deployed on the facades of museums as well in the center of public plazas. Pointing out the origin and the ties with funerary statuary, the article also examines the social image of artists produced by the practice. The effigy of a painter, standing on a pedestal, transforms the artist into a work of art.

The sculpted representation of painters constitutes a definite manner of celebrating Great Men in 19(th) century statuary. This study reconsiders this particular iconographical aspect of the "statuomanie" of the period, which was manifested in small formats as well as in monumental sculpture, and which was deployed on the facades of museums as well as in the center of public plazas. pointing out the origin and the ties with funerary statuary, the article also examines the social image of artists produced by this practice. The effigy of a painter, standing on a pedestal, transforms the artist into a work of art.

Le décret du 13 novembre 1863 réformant l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris a suscité sous le Second Empire un important débat sur la fonction de l'enseignement artistique. Cet article étudie les conditions de réalisation de la réforme, les modifications apportées au système pédagogique et à l'organisation administrative de l'Ecole. Il analyse également la notion d'originalité, introduite comme critère scolaire par le décret.