François-Hubert Drouais facts for kids

François-Hubert Drouais (born in Paris on December 14, 1727 – died in Paris on October 21, 1775) was a very important French artist. He was famous for painting portraits during the last years of King Louis XV's rule. Many important people wanted him to paint their pictures. This included the French royal family, rich nobles, and wealthy people in Paris. His paintings became very popular at the French court. This made his portraits a fashionable thing to have. People admired Drouais's work when he was alive. His popularity never faded, even when art critics sometimes gave his paintings bad reviews.

Becoming a Famous Artist

François-Hubert Drouais learned to paint from several great teachers. First, he studied with his own father, Hubert Drouais. Then, he learned from other famous artists like Donat Nonnotte, Charles-André van Loo, Charles-Joseph Natoire, and François Boucher.

In 1758, Drouais became a member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. This was a very important art school in France. To join, he had to present special portraits. His joining portraits were of two famous sculptors, Edme Bouchardon and Guillaume II Coustou. Both of these paintings were shown at the Salon in 1759. The Salon was a big art show held in the Louvre in Paris. His paintings received a lot of praise there. Drouais regularly showed his art at the official Salons from 1755 until he died in 1775.

Painting for Royalty

Drouais was a favorite artist of Jeanne Bécu, who was known as Madame du Barry. She was an important figure at the French court. From 1772 until his death, Drouais held a special job. He was the "premier peintre" (first painter) to Louis-Stanislas-Xavier. This person was the comte de Provence, who later became King Louis XVIII.

The daughters of King Louis XV, known as Mesdames de France, also hired Drouais often. They even suggested him to their father, King Louis XV. The king needed a painter to travel to Vienna to paint a portrait of the young Marie-Antoinette. Drouais was asked, but his price was too high. So, another artist named Ducreux went instead.

Drouais's Students and Famous Works

François-Hubert Drouais taught many students. Some of his pupils included Catherine Lusurier, his son Jean-Germain Drouais, Jean-Louis Voille, and Pierre-Hippolyte Lemoyne.

Some of his most famous portraits include:

• King Louis XV
• King Louis XV's important figures, Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry
• The daughters of King Louis XV (Mesdames de France)
• The comte and comtesse de Provence
• The comte de Buffon
• Madame Favart
• The young Marie-Antoinette

Images for kids

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  Madame Sophie de France (1762), Metropolitan Museum of Art

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  Portrait of Buffon (1707–1788)

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  Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame (1763–1764), National Gallery, London

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  Madame Drouais (1758), Louvre, Paris

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  Monsieur Denis-Paul le Pot de la Fontaine (?), 1772, oil on canvas, Detroit Institute of Arts

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  Drouais's signature in Family Portrait in the collection of the National Gallery of Art

See also

In Spanish: François-Hubert Drouais para niños