1737 - 1745
Jonathan Swift was a British-Irish writer, essayist, philosopher, and author of the world-famous satirical novel Gulliver's Travels.
Swift also wrote numerous works, including The Tale of the Barrel (1704), An Argument Against the Abolition of Christianity (1712), and A Modest Proposal (1729). Almost all of Swift's satirical works were published anonymously, giving the author wide latitude in expressing his talent as a satirist.
Swift was a clergyman, made a career in London, became the chief pamphleteer and political writer of the Tories and headed the Tory journal "The Inspector", and then returned to Ireland, where he created his major life's work.
The four-part novel Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift's greatest satire, was first published in 1726 and has since been reprinted hundreds of times in many languages around the world. The author describes in an engaging style the different races and societies that Gulliver encounters on his travels to ridicule the many errors, follies, weaknesses and vices to which people and society at large are subject. The author's boundless imagination, bitter irony, keen intellect and brilliant language give this work a world-class scope.
Jakob Philipp Hackert was a German painter of the second half of the 18th and early 19th centuries. He is known as a landscape painter and printmaker, a representative of neoclassicism and romanticism.
Hackert reached the peak of creative activity in 1770-1780. He was recognized by the European aristocracy, and for a time served as court painter to King Ferdinand IV of Naples, as well as receiving commissions from representatives of the Russian imperial family, such as Empress Catherine II and the heir to the throne, Paul Petrovich. His work, according to critics, was characterized by high craftsmanship and aristocratic elegance.
Jean-Baptiste van Loo was a French portrait painter of the Rococo period. He came from a large Van Loo family of painters, originally from Flanders. Elder brother of the painter Charles André van Loo. He studied painting with Benedetto Luti at the Académie Française in the Villa Médici.
Jean-Baptiste van Loo's style was marked by refined elegance and a desire to convey the likeness and character of his subjects. He excelled in portraiture and his work was sought after by royalty, aristocrats and prominent figures of his time.
In addition to portraits, he also painted historical and mythological scenes. His works had a sense of grandeur, using a vivid colour palette, intricate details and dynamic compositions.