François Gérard

Born in Rome in 1770 to a French father and an Italian mother. At age 12, he entered the Pension du Roi in Paris and studied under sculptor Pajou and painter David, a background that formed his sophisticated style.¹

He emerged as a star pupil of Neoclassical master Jacques-Louis David. His exceptional skills were highly trusted by his master, even assisting in the execution of David's celebrated portrait of Le Pelletier.¹

He established his fame with 'Belisarius' (1795) and 'Psyche et l'Amour' (1797). The graceful and idealized depiction of Psyche brought a fresh breeze to the French art world and achieved great success.¹

As court painter to Napoleon I, he was created a Baron of the Empire in 1809. He painted numerous portraits of the imperial family and high officials, capturing the brilliant court culture of the First Empire.¹

While gaining wealth through portraits, he maintained a passion for history painting, then considered a superior genre. 'The Battle of Austerlitz' (1810) demonstrates his ambition in composition and dramatic expression.¹

Nicknamed 'the painter of kings, the king of painters,' he reigned as First Painter to Kings Louis XVIII and Charles X during the Restoration. European royalty sought his portraits, spreading his fame across the continent.¹

His 1817 work 'Entry of Henri IV into Paris' was acclaimed as a masterpiece of the Restoration. However, he struggled with the rising Romantic school, grieving over the shift away from his classical style.¹

The social upheaval of the 1830 July Revolution dealt a psychological blow to the conservative artist. He continued to work in discouragement until his death from fever in 1837 at the age of 66.¹