Jacques-Laurent Agasse Painting Reproductions 1 of 1
1767-1849
Swiss Romanticism Painter
Jacques-Laurent Agasse, a man both rooted in privilege and marked by struggle, was born into a wealthy Huguenot family in Switzerland in 1767. Raised amidst the refined atmosphere of his family’s estate near Geneva, Agasse was drawn early on to the natural world, an obsession that would come to define his work. His artistic inclinations were nurtured rather than discouraged by his father, who ensured his education at the École d’art, where Agasse struck up a lifelong friendship with fellow artist Massot. This period was not all carefree artistic pursuit - the discipline of anatomy, dissection, and veterinary science became as much a part of Agasse’s studies as art, laying the groundwork for his precision in depicting animals.
Paris came calling in 1786, where Agasse entered the atelier of none other than Jacques-Louis David, a towering figure in French painting. Yet, Agasse’s course was never fully aligned with that of his contemporaries. His parents insisted that he take a broader approach to education, and thus Agasse's time in Paris was as much about science as it was about art. When the French Revolution stirred unrest, it pushed Agasse back to Geneva, where the life of an aristocrat-turned-artist became his reality. He passed his days painting, riding, and surviving as best he could, balancing the patrician air his family’s status afforded him with the looming financial hardships that would soon follow.
In 1800, the strain of revolution-induced ruin prompted Agasse to leave Geneva for London, a decision that marked the beginning of a more somber chapter in his life. His early years in England were harsh, with little success to show for his efforts. Despite his debut at the Royal Academy in 1801, Agasse lived modestly - a far cry from the grandeur one might expect of an artist of his background. He captured the lives of animals in meticulous detail, often under the patronage of English nobility like Lord Rivers. His animal portraits, such as “The Nubian Giraffe,” revealed not just technical prowess but a sensitivity toward the creatures themselves, a trait that made his work resonate with the sporting classes of England.
Despite his talents, the life Agasse led was one of quiet obscurity. His friend Topffer, during a visit in 1816, noted the artist’s meager living conditions and remarked on Agasse’s enduring dedication to his craft. Agasse’s output remained consistent - from 1801 until 1845, his works were featured nearly every year at the Royal Academy or the Society of Watercolorists. And while his paintings, engravings, and commissions kept him working, they never brought the kind of success that would lift him from the humble life he led.
Agasse died in 1849, his later years haunted by financial difficulty. His paintings - some 500 works - would be sold off cheaply to cover the cost of his funeral. Yet in his body of work, a particular genius lingers - a man who, despite the contradictions of his existence, captured with deftness and compassion the creatures that so often went unnoticed by the rest of the world.
Paris came calling in 1786, where Agasse entered the atelier of none other than Jacques-Louis David, a towering figure in French painting. Yet, Agasse’s course was never fully aligned with that of his contemporaries. His parents insisted that he take a broader approach to education, and thus Agasse's time in Paris was as much about science as it was about art. When the French Revolution stirred unrest, it pushed Agasse back to Geneva, where the life of an aristocrat-turned-artist became his reality. He passed his days painting, riding, and surviving as best he could, balancing the patrician air his family’s status afforded him with the looming financial hardships that would soon follow.
In 1800, the strain of revolution-induced ruin prompted Agasse to leave Geneva for London, a decision that marked the beginning of a more somber chapter in his life. His early years in England were harsh, with little success to show for his efforts. Despite his debut at the Royal Academy in 1801, Agasse lived modestly - a far cry from the grandeur one might expect of an artist of his background. He captured the lives of animals in meticulous detail, often under the patronage of English nobility like Lord Rivers. His animal portraits, such as “The Nubian Giraffe,” revealed not just technical prowess but a sensitivity toward the creatures themselves, a trait that made his work resonate with the sporting classes of England.
Despite his talents, the life Agasse led was one of quiet obscurity. His friend Topffer, during a visit in 1816, noted the artist’s meager living conditions and remarked on Agasse’s enduring dedication to his craft. Agasse’s output remained consistent - from 1801 until 1845, his works were featured nearly every year at the Royal Academy or the Society of Watercolorists. And while his paintings, engravings, and commissions kept him working, they never brought the kind of success that would lift him from the humble life he led.
Agasse died in 1849, his later years haunted by financial difficulty. His paintings - some 500 works - would be sold off cheaply to cover the cost of his funeral. Yet in his body of work, a particular genius lingers - a man who, despite the contradictions of his existence, captured with deftness and compassion the creatures that so often went unnoticed by the rest of the world.
20 Jacques-Laurent Agasse Paintings
The Nubian Giraffe 1827
Oil Painting
$2702
$2702
Canvas Print
$59.95
$59.95
SKU: AJL-4760
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 127.3 x 101.7 cm
The Royal Collection, London, United Kingdom
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 127.3 x 101.7 cm
The Royal Collection, London, United Kingdom
A Carriage Horse n.d.
Oil Painting
$1355
$1355
Canvas Print
$61.86
$61.86
SKU: AJL-4761
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 50 x 60.5 cm
Private Collection
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 50 x 60.5 cm
Private Collection
'Bay Ascham', a Stallion Led Through a Gate to a Mare 1804
Oil Painting
$1811
$1811
SKU: AJL-4762
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Landing at Westminster Bridge 1818
Oil Painting
$1895
$1895
SKU: AJL-4763
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Oskar Reinhart Museum, Winterthur, Switzerland
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Oskar Reinhart Museum, Winterthur, Switzerland
Romulus, Remus and their Nursemaid c.1805
Oil Painting
$1255
$1255
SKU: AJL-4764
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Musee d'Arte et d'Histoire, Geneve, Switzerland
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Musee d'Arte et d'Histoire, Geneve, Switzerland
The Playground 1830
Oil Painting
$2224
$2224
SKU: AJL-4765
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Oskar Reinhart Museum, Winterthur, Switzerland
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Oskar Reinhart Museum, Winterthur, Switzerland
Lord Heathfield on Horseback n.d.
Oil Painting
$1497
$1497
SKU: AJL-4766
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Kunstmuseum, Lucerne, Switzerland
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Kunstmuseum, Lucerne, Switzerland
A Lady's Grey Hunter c.1806
Oil Painting
$1289
$1289
Canvas Print
$62.40
$62.40
SKU: AJL-4767
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63 x 74.3 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63 x 74.3 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
A Grey Arab Stallion in a Wooded Landscape n.d.
Oil Painting
$1337
$1337
SKU: AJL-4768
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Daniel Beale at his Farm at Edmonton with his ... n.d.
Oil Painting
$1638
$1638
SKU: AJL-4769
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
The Chalon Family in London c.1800
Oil Painting
$702
$702
Canvas Print
$49.67
$49.67
SKU: AJL-4770
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 13.7 x 19.7 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 13.7 x 19.7 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
A Pointer in a Landscape n.d.
Oil Painting
$519
$519
SKU: AJL-4771
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: unknown
Private Collection
Lord Rivers's Stud Farm, Stratfield Saye 1807
Oil Painting
$2425
$2425
Canvas Print
$54.19
$54.19
SKU: AJL-17523
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 152.4 x 213.4 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 152.4 x 213.4 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Nine Greyhounds in a Landscape c.1807
Oil Painting
$1469
$1469
Canvas Print
$62.68
$62.68
SKU: AJL-17524
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63.7 x 76 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63.7 x 76 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
A Groom Mounted on a Chestnut Hunter, He Holds a ... n.d.
Oil Painting
$1004
$1004
Canvas Print
$58.99
$58.99
SKU: AJL-17525
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 60.3 x 75.6 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 60.3 x 75.6 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
A Grey Pony and a Black Charger in a Stable 1804
Oil Painting
$957
$957
Canvas Print
$62.68
$62.68
SKU: AJL-17526
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63.5 x 76.2 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63.5 x 76.2 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Old Smithfield Market, London 1824
Canvas Print
$55.56
$55.56
SKU: AJL-17527
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 50.8 x 70 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 50.8 x 70 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Zebra 1803
Oil Painting
$1326
$1326
Canvas Print
$61.86
$61.86
SKU: AJL-17528
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63 x 76.2 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 63 x 76.2 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Tiger in a Cave c.1814
Oil Painting
$1524
$1524
Canvas Print
$52.83
$52.83
SKU: AJL-17529
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 82.6 x 63 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 82.6 x 63 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
The Wellesley Grey Arabian Led through the Desert c.1810
Oil Painting
$1311
$1311
Canvas Print
$58.85
$58.85
SKU: AJL-17530
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 102 x 127 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA
Jacques-Laurent Agasse
Original Size: 102 x 127 cm
Yale Center for British Art, Connecticut, USA