Michel François André-Bardon (; 22 May 1700 – 13 April 1785) was a French

history painter History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek mythology, Greek and Roman my ...

and etcher.

Biography

Early life

He was born 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 ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He signed his name Dandré-Bardon, or D. Bardon, because his uncle, Louis Bardon, made him his heir on condition that he continued the name of Bardon; but his real name was André, as the registers of the church of St. Madeleine testify. Michel François was destined by his parents for

jurisprudence Jurisprudence, also known as theory of law or philosophy of law, is the examination in a general perspective of what law is and what it ought to be. It investigates issues such as the definition of law; legal validity; legal norms and values ...

, and studied at Paris.

Career

In 1719, he began to design during his leisure hours under the direction of

Jean-Baptiste van Loo Jean-Baptiste van Loo (14 January 1684 – 19 December 1745) was a French people, French subject and portrait painter. Life and career He was born in Aix-en-Provence, and was instructed in art by his father Louis-Abraham van Loo, son of Jac ...

, and studied painting with J. F. de Troy. His progress was so rapid, that he obtained, in 1725, the second prize at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

. He went afterwards to Rome, and after being there six years he returned to France, through

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, where he stayed six months. He painted the Palais-de-Justice, the Hôtel-de-Ville (which perished in 1792), and the church of St. Jerome, at Aix. The work which he executed of 'Jason ploughing,' intended for the tapestry manufactory at Beauvais, has disappeared. He went to Paris, where he displayed his talents, not only as a painter and etcher, but also as a poet and writer. In 1735, he became a member of the Academy; in 1752 professor; afterwards secretary; and finally teacher of historical painting. He was also the founder of the Académie des Beaux-Arts at

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 ...

s. He designed with great facility, and was a perfect master in representing the nude.

Death

He died at Paris in 1785.

Partial list of works

Paintings

*''The Emperor Augustus ordering the punishment of the robbers of the State money'' (Signed Dandré-Bardon aquisextiensis pinxit Romae Aetat. Suae 29 Anno 1729; Aix Museum). *''Allegorical Figures of the Virtues'' (Palais-de-Justice). *''Christ on the Cross'' (Marseilles. Mus.). *'' Tullia Running Her Chariot over the Body of Her Father'' (

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 ...

. Mus.).

Etchings

*''The Dead Body of Christ.'' *''Two Dead Children at the entrance of a vault.'' *''The Burial of the Dead.'' *'' Johannes Snellinks''; after

Van Dijck Van Dijck is a Dutch toponymic surname meaning "from (the) dike". The more common form Van Dijk uses the modern spelling of "dike". The form Van Dyck reflects a common replacement of the original IJ digraph with a Y. Notable people with the sur ...

Gallery

File:Dandré-Bardon église du Saint-Esprit-Aix-en-Provence.jpg, Depiction of Christ on the Cross, Eglise du Saint-Esprit à Aix-en-Provence File:Michel Francois Dandre Bardon - Diana and Endymion, 1726.jpg, ''Diana and Endymion'', 1726 File:Dandré-Bardon-adoration des cranes.jpg, ''Adoration des cranes'', 1733 File:Dandré-Bardon-Tullie.JPG, ''Tullie'', 1735 File:Dandré-Bardon-Anthichos.jpg, ''Anthichos'' File:Dandré-Bardon - Les bonnes oeuvres des filles de Saint-Thomas de Villeneuve.jpg, ''The Good Works of the Children of Saint-Thomas de Villeneuve'' File:Dandré-Bardon-Sophonisbe.jpg, ''Sophonisbe''

References

External links

* 18th-century French painters French male painters French etchers 18th-century etchers Artists from Aix-en-Provence Painters from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 1700 births 1785 deaths French history painters 18th-century French male artists {{France-painter-18thC-stub