Francois
Lemoine

He studied under L. Galloche (1701-1713). Made a successful official career: in 1718 he received the title of academician, 1733 — Professor of the Academy; from 1736 — the first painter of king Louis XV.

Familiarity with the works by S. Ricci and A. Pelegrini, as well as the trip to Italy (1723, Rome, Venice) had a significant influence on the picturesque style Lemoine: his color became brighter, the colors more luscious, the texture of the paint layer became thick, luminous, vibrating. Worked at Versailles, wrote to the town hall as a great composition Aurora and Cephalus (1724); the hall of Peace in the Palace of Versailles allegory of Louis XV giving peace to Europe (1728-1729), made under the influence of Rubens; for the hall of Hercules, ceiling of the Apotheosis of Hercules (1733-1736).

A pupil of Louis Galloche (1701-1713), Lemoine became an academician in 1718 ("Hercules and Cacus", Paris fine arts School; preparatory drawings and beautiful sketches - Paris, Louvre). Unlike his contemporary Watteau - their works are often confused, which indicates a similar sensitivity of the two artists - his career developed in a formal way: Professor of the Academy (1733) and the first painter of the king (1736), the First paintings Lemoine, which fit into the tradition of Lafosse written in a warm tone, inherited from L. jouvenet and Gallosa ("scenes from the life of Christ," for Franciscans of Amiens, 1715-1720, Sanaa, Museum, Olimp, sketch ceiling painting KOR. Bank, 1718, Paris, Museum of decorative arts). But the arrival in Paris of S. Ricci and Pellegrini, and the journey Lemoine in Italy (1723, Rome, Venice) sent him in search of a lighter color, and the predominance of yellow and pink tones have changed its texture, which became more fluid and vibrating ("Hercules and omfala", the picture painted in Rome; Paris, Louvre; the Transfiguration, 1723, Paris, C. Sintoma d aken). Lemoine also worked for various buildings in Versailles ("Cephalus and Aurora", 1724, Versailles, town hall; paintings for the Cathedral), and various Parisian churches ("the Glorification of the Madonna", 1731-1732, the picture is much recorded, Paris, C. Saint-Sulpice). These works were written in bright colors and large color masses enliven trembling stroke. Soon, the artist receives two orders for the Palace of Versailles allegorical composition for the hall of Peace ("Louis XV bringing peace to Europe", 1728-1729), and the ceiling in the hall of Hercules (1733 - 1736, sketch - Versailles, Palace Museum); they are executed in the decorative tradition of the XVII century, with a clear, but less strict and not too monumental composition similar to the works of the Venetian painters of the time. The last remaining piece Lemoine is a grisaille, which Laurent Cara the model for the engraving on the frontispiece of the theological theses of cardinal Rohan-Ventadour "Allegory in praise of Louis XV..." (1737, Strasbourg, izjasni Museum of art). Restless and cloneability, Lemoine in 1737, committed suicide.

His familiarity with French paintings of the XVIIth century (Lebrun), and of contemporary and earlier paintings in Italy (Correggio), and the works of Rubens predetermined thrust Lemoine to light painting (as, for example, in the hall of Peace, the structure of which resembles the gallery of the Medici). These effects are manifested in the painting "hunters Holiday" (Munich, Alte Pinakothek; preparatory drawings - Stockholm, NAT. Museum, new York, Metropolitan Museum), in which the clothes directly borrowed from Flemish painting. In addition, this is the only picture of Lemoine, the decor of which is animated by the pursuit of descriptiveness that is reminiscent of the art de Troyes, who was influenced by Rubens and Veronese. Finally, another source of inspiration Lemoine the art of the Bolognese, and especially Albani (drawings and small paintings, first attributed to Watteau "Children, shooting at a target", private collection; for this picture was done by a colour engraving of Jean-Robert de Sylvester; "Children playing with the attributes of Hercules," this motif is repeated in the ceiling of the hall of Hercules). But Lemoine was not a mere imitator; thanks to its deep culture, he remained committed to the tradition of French decorative art in harmony the grandeur and monumentality to the tastes of the court of Louis XV and putting it at the service of a brighter, more pleasant and light painting. So, next to the "gallant holidays" Watteau has blossomed elegance and grace Lemoine, influence in mid-century painting Bush and Natuar, his disciples.