Jean Germain Drouais (; 25 November 1763 – 13 February 1788), French historical painter, was born in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. His father,

François-Hubert Drouais François-Hubert Drouais (Paris, 14 December 1727 – Paris, 21 October 1775) was a leading French portrait painter during the latter years of Louis XV's reign.For a history of the Drouais family, see Prosper Dorbec (1904, 1905) and Camille Gabill ...

, and his grandfather,

Hubert Drouais Hubert Drouais (; 5 May 1699 1 – 9 February 1767) was a French Painting, painter, portraitist and miniaturist. Drouais was born in Pont-Audemer in Normandy, the son of Anne Talon and the painter Jean Drouais. Hubert followed in his father’s ...

, were well-known portrait painters; it was from his father that he received his first artistic instruction.

Early years

He was afterwards entrusted to the care of Brenet, an excellent teacher, though his own pictures did not take high rank. In 1780

Jacques-Louis David Jacques-Louis David (; 30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a French painter in the Neoclassicism, Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era. In the 1780s, his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in ...

, who had just returned from

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, opened a school of painting in Paris, and Drouais was one of his earliest and most promising pupils. He adopted the classical style of his master, giving his days to study painting and spending a great part of every night in designing. For weeks together it is said that he never left his studio.

Career

In 1783 he was admitted to compete for the great prize of painting offered by the Academy, the subject being the Widow of Nain. After inspecting the works of his fellow-competitors, however, he lost hope and destroyed his own canvas, but was consoled by the assurance of his master David that he had not done badly, and would have won the prize. This was further revealed by the fact that no first prize was awarded in 1783 after his work was withdrawn. The next year he was triumphantly successful, ''the Woman of Canaan at the Feet of Christ'', with which he gained the prize, being compared by competent critics with the works of

Poussin Nicolas Poussin (, , ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome. Most of his works were on religious and mythological subjects painted for ...

. He was carried shoulder high by his fellow-students through the streets to his mother's house, and a place was afterward found for his picture in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

. His success making him only the more eager to perfect himself in his art, he accompanied David to Rome, where he worked even more assiduously than in Paris. He was most strongly influenced by the remains of ancient art and by the works of

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of works by Raphael, His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of ...

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as treat ...

, who was at Rome at the time it was finished, has recorded the deep impression made by his ''Marius at Minturnae'', which he characterizes as in some respects superior to the work of David, his master. The last picture that he completed was his ''

Philoctetes Philoctetes ( grc, Φιλοκτήτης ''Philoktētēs''; English pronunciation: , stress (linguistics), stressed on the third syllable, ''-tet-''), or Philocthetes, according to Greek mythology, was the son of Poeas, king of Meliboea (Magnes ...

on the Island of Lemnos''.

Death

Drouais died in 1788 in Rome. Following his death, a monument to his memory was erected by his fellow-students in the church of Santa Maria in the

Via Lata The Via del Corso is a main street in the historical centre of Rome. It is straight in an area otherwise characterized by narrow meandering alleys and small piazzas. Considered a wide street in ancient times, the Corso is approximately 10 metres w ...

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drouais, Jean Germain 1763 births 1788 deaths 18th-century French painters French male painters French portrait painters Prix de Rome for painting Pupils of Jacques-Louis David 18th-century French male artists