François-Hubert Drouais (; Paris, 14 December 1727 – Paris, 21 October 1775) was a leading French portrait painter during the latter years of

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

's reign.For an analysis of Drouais's oeuvre, see Catherine Egan ,2016
/ref> His clientele included the French royal family and nobility, foreign aristocracy, fermiers-généraux (tax farmers), and the wealthier members of Parisian society and their favourites. But it was his increasing popularity at the French court that expanded his clientele and made his portraits a fashionable necessity. Drouais's work was admired during his lifetime, and his popularity and clientele did not diminish from the occasional adverse judgement published in Salon reviews. Drouais was apprenticed successively to his father Hubert Drouais, Donat Nonnotte, Charles-André van Loo, Charles-Joseph Natoire, and François Boucher. He was received into the Académie royale in 1758 with his ''morceaux des réception'' portraits of the celebrated sculptors Edme Bouchardon (1698–1762) and Guillaume II Coustou (1716–77). Both portraits were exhibited at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

of 1759 and received praise. Drouais attended the meetings of the Académie royale and, from 1755 until his death in 1775, exhibited regularly at the official Salons held in the Louvre in Paris. Drouais was a favourite portrait painter of Jeanne Beçu, comtesse du Barry (1743–93) and, from 1772 until his death, held the position of ''premier peintre'' to Louis-Stanislas-Xavier, comte de Provence (1755–1824), known as Monsieur, later Louis XVIII. Mesdames de France, the daughters of Louis XV, were also important patrons. They recommended him to their father, Louis XV, when a portraitist was sought to travel to Vienna to paint the young Marie-Antoinette. Drouais was approached, but his commission fee was regarded as too high. Ducreux went instead. Some of Drouais's pupils include Catherine Lusurier, his son Jean-Germain Drouais, Jean-Louis Voille, and Pierre-Hippolyte Lemoyne. Among his portraits include those of

, Louis's official mistresses Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry, Mesdames de France, the comte and comtesse de Provence, the comte de Buffon, Madame Favart, and the young Marie-Antoinette.

Gallery

File:Drouais, François-Hubert - Portrait de petite fille en robe blanche, dite Alexandrine Lenormant d'Etiolles - J 24 - Musée Cognacq-Jay.jpg, '' Alexandrine Le Normant d'Étiolles'' (1750), Musée Cognacq-Jay File:Comte-de-Vaudreuil-1758-par-Francois-Hubert-Drouais.jpeg, '' Portrait of the Comte de Vaudreuil'' (1758),

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

File:Madame Sophie de France (1734–1782).jpg, '' Madame Sophie de France'' (1762),

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

File:0 Versailles musée de l'Histoire de France - Portrait de la comtesse Du Barry en Flore - F-H Drouais (2).JPG, '' Madame du Barry'' (1769), Château de Versailles File:Drouais_-_Marie_Therese_de_Savoie,_comtesse_d'Artois_-_Versailles.jpg, '' Maria Theresa of Savoy'' (1775), Château de Versailles File:Buffon 1707-1788.jpg, '' Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon'' (1707–1788), Musée Buffon File:François-Hubert DROUAIS 1763-4. London NG. Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame..jpg, '' Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame'' (1763–1764),

File:Madame Drouais.jpg, ''Madame Drouais'' (1758),

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

File:Monsieur Denis-Paul le Pot de la Fontaine François-Hubert Drouais.JPG, ''Monsieur Denis-Paul le Pot de la Fontaine'' (?), 1772, oil on canvas,

Detroit Institute of Arts The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is a museum institution located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. It has list of largest art museums, one of the largest and most significant art collections in the United States. With over 100 galleries, it cove ...

File:La famille de Sourches.jpg, ''La famille de Sourches'' (1756),

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

File:Signature of Francois Hubert Drouais (1756).jpg, Drouais's signature in ''Family Portrait'' in the collection of the National Gallery of Art

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drouais, Francois-Hubert 1727 births 1775 deaths 18th-century French painters French male painters Painters from Paris 18th-century French male artists