Louis de Boullogne the Elder was much sought after as an engraver and copyist in oil of other artists’ paintings, a common practice of the time which supplied collectors with masterworks when the originals could not be obtained. Louis the Elder’s original work consisted mainly of scenes taken from the Bible or classical history, but it was his expert copies of paintings by Titian and Guido Reni that secured his reputation. A student of Jacques Blanchard, he passed on traditional methods of working to all four of his children, with Bon, Genevieve, Madeline, and Louis the Younger becoming painters. He was also a major contributor to the organization of the Académie Royale in Paris, where he was a professor until his death.