Jean-François Pierre Peyron (15 December 1744 – 20 January 1814) was a French Neoclassical painter, printmaker, and art collector.

Biography

Peyron was born on 15 December 1744 in

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...

in Southern France to a wealthy family. He studied law until the death of his father in 1765, at which point Peyron enrolled in the (Drawing School) in Aix. There he learned from the history painter and etcher Michel-François Dandré-Bardon. In 1767, Peyron moved to Paris at the age of twenty-three where he entered the

atelier An atelier () is the private workshop or studio of a professional artist in the fine or decorative arts or an architect, where a principal master and a number of assistants, students, and apprentices can work together producing fine art or vi ...

Rococo Rococo, less commonly Roccoco ( , ; or ), also known as Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and dramatic style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpte ...

painter Louis Jean François Lagrenée. He was one of the first to re-apply the Classic principles of composition, in the manner of

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

, while the prevailing fashion was in favour of

. In 1773, the '' Académie royale de peinture'' announced that the theme for the next '' Grand Prix de Rome'' would be the death of Seneca as described by

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...

, a favorite topic for French painters. Of the six artists approved to compete, first prize was awarded to Peyron for a now lost painting, but for which an engraving survives. He spent the years between 1775 and 1782 in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, with the Academy of France in Rome. On his return to Paris, Peyron found that the career of his rival,

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 ...

, had taken its rise and had completely eclipsed his own, relegating it to a minor role in the history of art – which became evident in the exhibitions at the Salon of Paris between

1785 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Burmese Konbaung Dynasty annexes the Mrauk U Kingdom of Arakan. ** The first issue of the '' Daily Universal Register'', later known as ''The Times'', is published in London. * January 7 &nd ...

and

1787 Events January–March * January 9 – The North Carolina General Assembly authorizes nine commissioners to purchase of land for the seat of Chatham County. The town is named Pittsborough (later shortened to Pittsboro), for W ...

. Following his fall from grace, Peyron was appointed inspector general of the Gobelins tapestry factory from 1786 to 1792. David would later pay homage to Peyron at the time of his funeral, stating: "He had opened my eyes". Peyron died in Paris in 1814, aged 69.

List of works (partial)

* ''The Death of Seneca'' (1773) – a now-lost painting that earned Peyron the Prix de Rome * ''Athéniennes'' or ''Young Athenians Drawing Lots to be Sacrificed to the Minotaur'' (1778) –

Wellington Museum Wellington Museum (formerly the Museum of City & Sea) is a museum on Queens Wharf in Wellington, New Zealand. It occupies the 1892 Wellington Harbour Board Head Office and Bond Store, Bond Store, a historic building on Jervois Quay on the wat ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

* ''Belisarius Receiving Hospitality from a Peasant Who Had Served under Him'' (1779) – Musée de Augustins,

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

* ''Hagar and the Angel'' (1779) ''–'' private collection'','' Paris * ''Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi'' (1781) ''–''

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 ...

'','' London * ''The Funeral of Miltiades'' (1782) –

The Louvre 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 ...

, Paris * ''The Resurrection of Christ'' (1784) – Church of Saint-Louis-en-l'Île, Paris * ''Socrate arrachant Alcibiade des bras de la Volupté'' (1785) – ,

Guéret Guéret (; Occitan: ''Garait'') is a commune and the prefecture of the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. Geography Guéret is a light industrial town, the largest in the department, with a big woodland a ...

* ''The Death of

Alcestis Alcestis (; Ancient Greek: Ἄλκηστις, ') or Alceste, was a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her life story was told by pseudo-Apollodorus in his '' Bibliotheca'', and a version of her death and return from t ...

'' (1785) – The Louvre, Paris * ''The Death of

Socrates Socrates (; ; – 399 BC) was a Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher from Classical Athens, Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the Ethics, ethical tradition ...

'' (1786 or 1787) – National Gallery of Denmark,

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

* ''

Manius Curius Dentatus Manius Curius Dentatus (died 270 BC) was a Roman general and statesman noted for ending the Samnite War and for his military exploits during the Pyrrhic War. According to Pliny, he was born with teeth, thus earning the surname Dentatus, "toothed ...

Refusing the Samnite Ambassadors'' (1787) – Musée des Beaux-Arts,

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

* ''The Death of Socrates'' (1788) – Joslyn Art Museum,

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* ''Ulysse et Nausicaa'' (1791) – Staatliches Museum Schwerin,

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch dialect, Mecklenburgisch-Vorpommersch Low German: ''Swerin''; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Zwierzyn''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germ ...

* ''Time and Minerva'' (1799) – Ministère des Armées, Paris * ''King

Perseus of Macedon Perseus (; – 166 BC) was king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon from 179 until 168BC. He is widely regarded as the last List of kings of Macedonia, king of Macedonia and the last ruler from th ...

in front of Aemilius Paulus'' (1802) – Museum of Fine Arts,

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

* ''Paul-Émile, conqueror of Perseus, last king of the Macedonians'' (1804) – Exhibited at the Salon of 1804, then later deposited at the Museum of Fine Arts in

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

before being destroyed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. A painted sketch from 1802 can still be found in Budapest. * ''The Death of General Valhubert'' (1808) – Musée de l'Histoire de France,

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 ...

* ''The School of Pythagoras'' (1812) – Exhibited at the Salon of 1812, now lost * ''L'Entretien de Démocrite avec Hippocrate'' (1812) – Exhibited at the Salon of 1812, now lost * ''Sainte Madeleine méditant –''

Musée Granet The Musée Granet is a museum in the quartier Mazarin, Aix-en-Provence, France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French G ...

Gallery

File:The Death of Seneca (La mort de Sénèque) - Pierre Peyron.jpg, ''The Death of Seneca'' (1773 or 1774). Copper engraving of the now-lost original that won the Grand Prix. File:Jean-François-Pierre Peyron - Sainte Madeleine méditant.jpg, ''Sainte Madeleine méditant'' File:Belisarius by Peyron.jpg, ''Belisarius Receiving Hospitality from a Peasant Who Had Served under Him'' (1779) File:Jean-François-Pierre Peyron (1744-1814) - Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi - NG6552 - National Gallery.jpg, ''Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi'' (1781) File:Peyron I funerali di Milziade.jpg, ''The Funeral of Miltiades'' (1782) File:Pierre Peyron - Résurrection du Christ, 1784.jpg, ''La Résurrection'' (1784) File:Jean-François-Pierre Peyron - Alceste mourante - WGA17394.jpg, ''The Death of Alcestis'' (1785) File:Jean Francois Pierre Peyron - The Death of Socrates - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Death of Socrates'' (1786 or 1787) File:Peyron - Marcus Curius Dentatus refusant les présents des Samnites.jpg, ''Manius Curius Dentatus Refusing the Samnite Ambassadors'' (1787) File:Jean-François-Pierre Peyron 001.jpg, ''King Perseus of Macedon in front of Aemilius Paulus'' (1802) File:Général MORT DU GENERAL VALHUBERT.jpg, ''The Death of General Valhubert'' (1808) File:Peyron - The School of Pythagoras (1812) - increased contrast.png, ''The School of Pythagoras'' (1812). Contemporary sketch by French painter Charles Paul Landon. File:Peyron - L'Entretien de Démocrite avec Hippocrate (1812).png, ''L'Entretien de Démocrite avec Hippocrate'' (1812). Contemporary sketch by French painter Charles Paul Landon.

References

Notes

Citations

External links

Insecula on Jean-François-Pierre Peyron

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peyron, Pierre 1744 births 1814 deaths Artists from Aix-en-Provence Painters from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur French neoclassical painters Prix de Rome for painting 18th-century French painters French male painters 19th-century French painters 19th-century French male artists