Jacques de Létin, or Jacques Ninet de Lestin, or Jacques de L'Estin (1597,

Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...

- October, 1661, Troyes) was a French painter, primarily of religious scenes. He was also trained as a

goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

Biography

He was born to a middle-class family. His father, Jehan, ran a hotel called ''L'Image de Saint-Christophe''. He trained with the painter and goldsmith, Edme Doué (?-1626), who had married his sister, Simonne, in 1613. At the time, many young painters were attracted to the works of Carvaggio. This prompted him to travel to Rome, where he lived from 1622 to 1625; sharing an apartment with the painter, Charles Mellin, and the sculptor Jacques Sarrazin.Jacques Thuillier, "Simon Vouet", in ''La Peinture Française'', 1963, pg.98. He also met and became a lifelong friend of

Simon Vouet Simon Vouet (; 9 January 1590 – 30 June 1649) was a French painter who studied and rose to prominence in Italy before being summoned by Louis XIII to serve as Premier peintre du Roi in France. He and his studio of artists created religious and ...

. He returned to Troyes in 1626, set up a studio and got married shortly after. His workshop was very successful and the numerous commissions he received involved many long stays in Paris. He was, in fact, there for much of the period from 1633 to 1639, In 1636, he was chosen to be the " Painter of May" for

Notre-Dame de Paris Notre-Dame de Paris ( ; meaning "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"), often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a Medieval architecture, medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissemen ...

. His contribution was ''Saint Paul Preaching on the Areopagus'' (destroyed during the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

). He produced secular as well as religious works. In 1645, he settled permanently in Troyes, purchased some land and built a large manor house. He appears to have painted little after that and was quickly forgotten. By the end of the 17th century, he was only cited by name in relation to Vouet. At some point, he was referred to as Ninet de Lestin, due to a typographical error, which was continued until 1882, when the local historian, , discovered it and did more research on his life. Many of his paintings were destroyed or disappeared; during the French Revolution, the Franco-Prussian War and World War II, although some works have newly attributed to him; notably, personifications of Grammar and Geometry, acquired by the Musée des beaux-arts de Bordeaux in 2011. A street and a school in Troyes have been named after him.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Letin, Jacques 1597 births 1661 deaths People from Troyes 17th-century French painters French male painters

Biography

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