Beaux-Arts, École Nationale Supérieure des, Paris

Beaux-Arts, École Nationale Supérieure des, Paris. The chief of the official art schools of France. The origins of the École des Beaux-Arts go back to 1648, the date of the foundation of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, but it was not established as a separate institution until 1795, during the administrative reforms of the French Revolution. It controlled the path to traditional success with its awards and state commissions, and teaching remained conservative until after the Second World War. Entry was difficult—among the artists who failed the examinations were Rodin and Vuillard—and students often preferred the private académies. However, even some of the most progressive artists obtained a sound technical grounding there. The École, which is housed in a complex of early 19th-century buildings in Paris, has a large and varied collection of works of art. Many of them are primarily of historical interest (including a vast number of copies and portraits of teachers), but the collection of drawings is of high quality. The École also often hosts temporary exhibitions.