Artist
Guillaume Guillon-Lethière
Timeline
Born in Guadeloupe in 1760 to a French notary and a free woman of color, he was not legally recognized by his father until 1794 due to the restrictions of the Code Noir.1
After moving to France in 1774, he adopted the name 'Lethière', derived from 'letier' (third son), to distinguish his identity as he pursued his artistic education.1
As Director of the Villa Medici in Rome, he revitalized the academy by securing funding for students and renovating the facilities, restoring order to the institution.1
He formed a close bond with Lucien Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, assisting him with his art collection and gaining an appointment as Director of the French Academy in Rome in 1807.1
He specialized in grand-scale history paintings, such as 'Brutus Condemning his Sons to Death', characterized by meticulous draftsmanship and dramatic Neoclassical compositions.1
In 1818, he was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts and awarded the Legion of Honor, marking his ascent to the pinnacle of the French art world as an artist of Caribbean origin.1
Commissioned to depict the July Revolution of 1830 on a large scale, he passed away in 1832 before finishing the work, leaving the canvas incomplete in his studio.1