Joseph-Marie Vien

During his time in Rome, Vien applied himself to the study of nature and developed his own powers, moving away from the reigning Rococo taste.¹

Born in Montpellier, Vien was a protégé of the Comte de Caylus and entered Natoire's studio, eventually winning the Prix de Rome in 1745.¹

Upon returning to Paris, his style was so foreign to the reigning taste that he owed his Academy admission for 'Daedalus and Icarus' solely to François Boucher's indignant protests.¹

In 1757, he married Marie-Thérèse Reboul, a painter and engraver. Their son, Joseph-Marie Vien the Younger, also became a distinguished painter.¹

In 1776, as director of the French Academy in Rome, he initially refused to take Jacques-Louis David with him, claiming he was too old to teach a young artist.¹

Vien was the last holder of the post of Premier peintre du Roi (1789–1791) before it was abolished during the French Revolution.¹

Despite losing his fortune in the French Revolution, he continued working and won an open government competition in 1796 at the age of eighty.¹

Napoleon Bonaparte acknowledged Vien's merit by making him a senator, a high honor for an artist at the time.¹

Joseph-Marie Vien died in Paris and was buried in the crypt of the Panthéon, reflecting his high standing in French society.¹