Pierre-Paul Prud'hon was a French Romantic painter and draughtsman, best known for his allegorical paintings and portraits. Born in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France, he received his artistic training in the French provinces and later continued his education in Italy.
Artistic Career
Prud'hon's work was highly esteemed at Napoleon's court, where he painted portraits of each of Napoleon's two wives. His painting of Josephine portrays her not as an Empress, but as an attractive woman, which led some to think that he might have been in love with her. After the divorce of Napoleon and Josephine, he was also employed by Napoleon's second wife Marie-Louise.
Prud'hon was at times clearly influenced by
Neo-classicism, at other times by
Romanticism. He was appreciated by other artists and writers, including Stendhal, Delacroix, Millet, and Baudelaire, for his
chiaroscuro and convincing realism. Some of his notable works include:
Notable Works and Legacy
Prud'hon's
Crucifixion (1822) is one of his most famous works, painted for St. Etienne's Cathedral in Metz, now hanging in the Louvre. His "thunderously tragic pictures" include his masterpiece,
Justice and Divine Vengeance Pursuing Crime, which obviously anticipate Géricault's painting
The Raft of the Medusa.
To learn more about Prud'hon's work and other French Romantic painters, visit
Pierre-Paul Prud'hon | WahooArt or check out his biography on
Wikipedia: Pierre-Paul Prud'hon. You can also explore the
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne collection, which features some of Prud'hon's works, on
WahooArt: Musée des Beaux-Arts de Carcassonne.