Pierre
Minyar

France • 1612−1695

He studied with Jean Boucher in Bourges, S. Vouet in Paris. More than 20 years he lived in Italy (1635-1657), visited Rome, Venice and other cities. He was influenced by Pietro da Cortona, Domenichino, Titian, Veronese. In Italy he painted religious themes, portraits (Knight of the order of Malta, 1653, Malta, Palace S. Anton).

In 1690, after the death of his rival, Shimon Lebrun, mignard led the Royal Academy of painting and sculpture, was the "first painter of the king". His work has deepened in the 1690's, and he died working on his latest canvas — self-Portrait in the image of Saint Luke (1695, Troyes Museum).

Pierre mignard (FR. Pierre Mignard; November 7, 1612, Troyes — may 30, 1695, Paris) was a French painter, brother of Nicolas Mignard. Had the nickname the Roman to distinguish it from the brother.

From 1624 Pierre studied in the Studio of Jean Boucher in Bourges. Returning to Troyes, he worked with sculptor françois Gentille. Soon he went to Fontainebleau - a city of artists and the capital of art of the time, where he studied the works of Primaticcio, Rosso and Framenet. Under the auspices of the Marshal of Vitry, Pierre mignard was a pupil of Simon Vouet, in whose Studio he met his future rival of Charles Le Brun.

In 1635 the artist went to Rome, where he earned notoriety. There he became acquainted with Poussin and Anna Avalara, which many years later would become his wife, and with whom he has had four children. Becoming famous in Italy, Moscow in 1657 was called to the court of Louis XIV. In 1687 the king granted him noble rank, and in 1690, after the death of Le Brun, he became chief court painter, Director of the Royal museums of art and manufactures, a member and Professor at the Paris Academy of painting and sculpture, and later its rector and Chancellor. Pierre mignard died 30 may 1695 and was buried in the monastery of the Jacobins in Paris.

Strong harmonious colour scheme is the main advantage of his works, all testifying to his high talents; but he paid tribute to his time, addicted to the elegance and the external gloss: the composition of his paintings are theatrical, the gracefulness of his figures bordered by affectations, the expression suffers from a certain delannoit and affectation. These shortcomings are the least visible in his portraits, at which he can be considered one of the best masters in all French schools. His hands belong numerous portraits of courtiers, the mistresses of the king himself, Louis XIV, whom he wrote about ten times. From fresco works of Mignard was the most important painting in the dome of the Val-de-grace, soon soured due to the bad quality of the colors, and mythological wall paintings in the great hall of the Palace of Saint-cloud, dead, with this building in 1870.

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