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Louis Lafitte (November 15, 1770 in Paris – August 3, 1828 in Paris) was a French painter, designer, illustrator and muralist.
@ Napoleon.org. Later he was admitted to the
In 1791, he won Prix de Rome for his painting of Regulus returning to Carthage and became the last painter sent to Rome during the reign of Louis XVI. He was living at the Villa Medici in 1793, when protests against French incursions into Italy forced him to flee the Papal States and seek refuge in Florence, where he briefly taught at the Academy.
He returned to Paris in 1796 and was married later that year. Financial problems soon forced him to do decorative work and illustrations, including twelve allegories for the months in the French Republican Calendar. In 1800, he worked at the Château de Malmaison in collaboration with the architect 
From 1800 to 1814, he created designs for the Dossier
@ the Base Léonore. Two years later, he created his last major works for the
Works by Lafitte
@ the Base Joconde.
Works by Lafitte
@ the Agence Photographique of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux {{DEFAULTSORT:Lafitte, Louis 1770 births 1828 deaths French history painters French muralists Prix de Rome for painting French designers French illustrators French decorative artists Painters from Paris Recipients of the Legion of Honour Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery French male painters
Louis Lafitte (November 15, 1770 in Paris – August 3, 1828 in Paris) was a French painter, designer, illustrator and muralist.
Biography
He was the son of a master barber. In 1778, his father offered refuge to the painter Simon Mathurin Lantara, who was in desperate financial straits and, during his stay, Lantara excited young Lafitte's interest in painting. He also convinced Lafitte's father that his son had a gift for drawing, so he was sent to study with the engraverGilles Demarteau
Gilles Demarteau or Gilles Demarteau the Elder (19 January 1722, in Liège – 31 July 1776, in Paris) was an etcher, engraver and publisher who was active in Paris for his entire career.Madeleine Barbin. "Demarteau, Gilles." Grove Art Online. ...
then, in 1786, with Jean-Baptiste Regnault.Brief biography@ Napoleon.org. Later he was admitted to the
Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture
The Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture (; en, "Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture") was founded in 1648 in Paris, France. It was the premier art institution of France during the latter part of the Ancien Régime until it was abol ...
.
In 1791, he won Prix de Rome for his painting of Regulus returning to Carthage and became the last painter sent to Rome during the reign of Louis XVI. He was living at the Villa Medici in 1793, when protests against French incursions into Italy forced him to flee the Papal States and seek refuge in Florence, where he briefly taught at the Academy.
He returned to Paris in 1796 and was married later that year. Financial problems soon forced him to do decorative work and illustrations, including twelve allegories for the months in the French Republican Calendar. In 1800, he worked at the Château de Malmaison in collaboration with the architect Charles Percier
Charles Percier (; 22 August 1764 – 5 September 1838) was a neoclassical French architect, interior decorator and designer, who worked in a close partnership with Pierre François Léonard Fontaine, originally his friend from student days. For ...
. His work there featured eight Pompeian style dancers for the dining room. In 1809, the Sénat commissioned a monumental oil painting, depicting the establishment of the Cisalpine Republic, but he was unable to complete it successfully.
From 1807 to 1808, he worked with architect Jean Chalgrin, managing all the decorations for the Théâtre de l'Impératrice. The theater was gutted by fire in 1818, and his decorations survive only in written descriptions. The following year, he helped Chalgrin decorate a full-scale wood, stucco and canvas mockup of the proposed Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...
. In 1811, he painted Romulus and Remus
In Roman mythology, Romulus and Remus (, ) are twin brothers whose story tells of the events that led to the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom by Romulus, following his fratricide of Remus. The image of a she-wolf suckling the ...
above the doors of the Sénat at the Palais du Luxembourg for the baptism of Napoléon François Charles Joseph Bonaparte.
From 1800 to 1814, he created designs for the Manufacture de Sèvres
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a ...
. Then, from 1814 to 1816, he collaborated with Merry-Joseph Blondel in creating a collection of wallpapers based on the theme of Cupid and Psyche, from a story by Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine (, , ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his ''Fables'', which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Euro ...
. In 1816, taking advantage of a peaceful period, he visited London, where the Prince Regent commissioned him to create decorations for a celebration at Carlton House.
In 1820, he designed decorations to commemorate the birth of the Duc de Bordeaux
Henri, Count of Chambord and Duke of Bordeaux (french: Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné d'Artois, duc de Bordeaux, comte de Chambord; 29 September 1820 – 24 August 1883) was disputedly King of France from 2 to 9 August 1830 as Hen ...
. In 1823, he was named a Knight in the Légion d'Honneur as a designer for the King's Cabinet.@ the Base Léonore. Two years later, he created his last major works for the
Coronation of Charles X
The Coronation of Charles X took place in Reims on 29 May 1825 when Charles X of France, Charles X was crowned as King of Kingdom of France, France, marking the last Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of a French monarch. It took place a ...
at Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
.
He died after a brief illness and is buried in Père-Lachaise Cemetery. His remaining works were sold in an auction at his home.
References
Further reading
* Marc Allègret, "Louis Lafitte, (1770–1828), peintre et dessinateur", in the ''Revue du Souvenir Napoléonien'', #439 * Jean Duchesne Aîné, "Notice sur la vie et les ouvrages de Monsieur Louis Lafitte", in ''Catalogue des tableaux, dessins, estampes, livres, médailles du cabinet de feu Mr Louis Lafitte'', (Auction catalog) 1828.External links
Works by Lafitte
@ the Base Joconde.
Works by Lafitte
@ the Agence Photographique of the Réunion des Musées Nationaux {{DEFAULTSORT:Lafitte, Louis 1770 births 1828 deaths French history painters French muralists Prix de Rome for painting French designers French illustrators French decorative artists Painters from Paris Recipients of the Legion of Honour Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery French male painters