François Lemoyne | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1688 (1688) |
| Died | 4 June 1737(1737-06-04) (aged 48–49) |
| Education | Académie de peinture et de sculpture |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Rococo |
François Lemoyne orFrançois Le Moine (French:[fʁɑ̃swaləmwan]; 1688 – 4 June 1737) was a Frenchrococo painter. He was a winner of thePrix de Rome, professor of theAcadémie royale de peinture et de sculpture, andPremier peintre du Roi toLouis XV. He was tutor toCharles-Joseph Natoire andFrançois Boucher.[1]
Throughout his career, Lemoyne sought to be seen as the heir toCharles Le Brun and the leading painter of his generation, titles also vied for by his rivalJean-François de Troy (1679–1752).[2] Lemoyne's work and talent, notably plied inVersailles, earned him the esteem of his contemporaries and the name of the "newLe Brun". He collaborated with or worked alongside other artists of the era, includingDonat Nonnotte,Gilles Dutilleul,Charles de La Fosse, andCoypel. He killed himself in 1737, at the height of his career. With his death, the fashion of large allegorical ceilings disappeared.
Lemoyne was born in Paris in 1688 and studied underLouis Galloche until 1713. In 1711, Lemoyne won the Prix de Rome and travelled to Italy to continue his studies.[2] After his return to Paris, Lemoyne was accepted as a full member of theAcadémie de peinture et de sculpture in 1718 and later elected as a professor in 1733.[2] In 1723, Lemoyne returned to Italy for a second trip.[2]
In 1727, theduc d'Antin (Louis-Antoine de Pardaillan de Grondin), serving as the director of theBâtiments du Roi, held an art competition in the hopes of reviving history painting among members of the Académie.[3] Only one Salon had been held since 1704 (in 1725), so this offered a rare opportunity for public exhibition of paintings.[3][4] Twelve paintings were submitted in all, by artists includingCharles-Antoine Coypel andNoel-Nicholas Coypel.[3] Opinion was widely divided, with critical opinion favoring the paintings by the two Coypels, but in the end the first place prize of 5,000livres was jointly awarded to Lemoyne and de Troy, a compromise which frustrated them both.[3][4]
In 1728, Lemoyne was awarded a royal commission to paint the ceiling of theSalon d’Hercule atVersailles, which he worked on from 1733 to 1736.[4] He had seen similar paintings in Italy (such asPietro da Cortona’s in thePalazzo Barberini), and sought to prove that the French could excel atà ciel ouvert as much as the Italians.[5] When the work was complete, he received "unanimous praise," including accolades fromVoltaire andCardinal Fleury.[6] His career was at its peak in 1736, when he was appointedPremier peintre du Roi.[6]
The following year, 1737, Lemoyne committed suicide in Paris. The reasons for this are not known, though excess of work, court intrigue at Versailles, the death of his wife, temperamental instability,[6] and frustration at his inability to attain artistic perfection[5] have been submitted. He chose death by sword, stabbing himself a total of nine times in the chest and throat. This was six months after finishing the ceiling painting "L'apothéose d'Hercule" in theSalon d'Hercule in thegrand appartement du roi, and the day after completing the paintingTime Saving Truth from Falsehood and Envy for his friend and patron François Berger.[7]
Lemoyne has been characterized by David Wakefield as "industrious, painstaking and serious."[2]
Lemoyne's early studies in Rome instilled in him knowledge of the works of the Old Masters, Raphael, Correggio, and Titian, though his strongest influence was undoubtedly Rubens (particularly in his use of color).[2] During his second trip in 1723, Lemoyne admired the ceiling of thePalazzo Barberini and found inspiration in the works of the Venetians, particularlyPaolo Veronese.[2] Over the course of his career, Lemoyne's style shifted more in favor of the Italian influence.[2]
Pierre Rosenberg describes Lemoyne's style as "refined and introverted."[5] Philip Conisbee refers to Lemoyne's paintings as having a "sensuous beauty" similar to works byCorreggio.[8]
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