François-Xavier Fabre (; 1 April 1766 – 16 March 1837) was a French painter of historical subjects. Born in

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

, Fabre was a pupil of

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 ...

, and made his name by winning the in 1787. During the French Revolution, Fabre went to live in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, becoming a member of the Florentine Academy, where he taught painting. The friends he made in Italy included the dramatist,

Vittorio Alfieri Count Vittorio Amedeo Alfieri (, also , ; 16 January 17498 October 1803) was an Italians, Italian dramatist and poet, considered the "founder of Italian tragedy." He wrote nineteen tragedies, sonnets, satires, and a notable autobiography. Early l ...

, whose widow,

Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern Princess Louise Maximiliane Caroline Emanuel of Stolberg-Gedern (20 September 1752 – 29 January 1824) was the wife of Charles Edward Stuart, the Jacobitism, Jacobite claimant to the English throne, English and Scottish thrones. The unhappy mar ...

, Countess of Albany, he is said to have married. On Louise's death in 1824, he inherited her fortune, which he used to found an art school in his home town. On his own death, he bequeathed his own art collection to the town, forming the basis of the

Musée Fabre The Musée Fabre is a museum in the southern French city of Montpellier, capital of the Hérault ''département''. The museum was founded by François-Xavier Fabre, a Montpellier painter, in 1825. Beginning in 2003, the museum underwent a 61.2 m ...

. Fabre began his training in Montpellier's art academy, where he spent several years prior to joining Jacques-Louis David's studio in Paris. His studies were paid for by the financier and art collector, Philippe-Laurent de Joubert. Philippe-Laurent was the father of Laurent-Nicolas de Joubert. Fabre painted a portrait of Laurent-Nicolas de Joubert, which is now in the

Getty Museum The J. Paul Getty Museum, commonly referred to as the Getty, is an art museum in Los Angeles, California, United States, housed on two campuses: the Getty Center and Getty Villa. It is operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world's wealthies ...

. Fabre gained popularity in Florence. The city's Italian aristocrats and tourists were drawn to his elegance, realism, and precision of his portraits. This popularity earned Fabre a place in the Florentine Academy. He became an art teacher, art collector, and art dealer in Florence. Fabre's works include ''The Dying Saint Sebastian'' (1789), ''The Judgment of Paris'' (1808), and ''The Death of Narcissus'' (1814). Among his pupils in Florence was

Emilio Santarelli Emilio Santarelli (1 August 1801- 29 October 1889) was an Italians, Italian sculptor active mainly in Florence. Biography He was born in Florence to Giovanni Antonio Santarelli, who worked as an engraver of Cameo (carving), cameo jewelry. He enr ...

.Enciclopedia Treccani
entry on Santarelli.

Notable works

File:François-Xavier Fabre - Portrait de Edgar Clarke.jpg, Portrait of Edgar Clarke File:François-Xavier Fabre - Portrait of Vittorio Alfieri - WGA7714.jpg, Portrait of

File:Ugo Foscolo.jpg, Portrait of

Ugo Foscolo Ugo Foscolo (; 6 February 177810 September 1827), born Niccolò Foscolo, was an Italian writer, revolutionary and poet. He is especially remembered for his 1807 long poem ''Dei Sepolcri''. Early life Foscolo was born in Zakynthos in the Ionia ...

File:Fabre - Portrait de la générale Clarke avec ses quatre enfants, 1810.jpg, Portrait of Mrs Clarke with her Four Children, 1810 File:Henry Vassall-Fox 3rd Baron Holland (1795).jpg, Portrait of Henry Vassall-Fox, Lord Holland, 1795

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fabre, Francois-Xavier 18th-century French painters French male painters 19th-century French painters 1766 births 1837 deaths Prix de Rome for painting Pupils of Jacques-Louis David Artists from Montpellier Painters from Occitania (administrative region) French expatriates in Italy 18th-century French male artists