François Lemoyne
1688-1737
French
Student of Louis Galloche
Teacher of Charles-Joseph Natoire
François Lemoyne studied under Louis Galloche, whose emphasis on attaining mastery of the human form served Lemoyne well as a painter of the dramatic multi-figured compositions that would bring him fame. His skills as a draftsman are apparent in the numerous drawings he executed in preparation for his elaborate paintings. With subject matter often drawn from classical mythology and finished with echoes of the colors and touch of Venetian painters so revered by his teacher, Lemoyne adorned ceilings at Versailles and secured other Parisian patrons. He also held a position at the Académie Royale, teaching his students to copy from antique statuary before moving on to the study of the live model.