François-Pascal Simon was born in Rome, but due to his French father he came to Paris at an early age, where he began training as a sculptor with Augustin Paiou at the age of 13. However, he took more pleasure in painting, so he went to the mediocre French painter Albert Victor Eugène Brenet and finally moved to the workshop of the history painter Jacques Louis David, who had a brilliant success and around whom a number of budding painters gathered.
Simon travelled regularly to Rome, but always returned quickly to Paris, otherwise he would have been put on the emigrants list. On his return, he suddenly found himself facing the French Revolution, in which his family was impoverished. His Italian mother had died and he had to provide for both his two brothers and his young aunt whom he married shortly afterwards. It was precisely at this time that the Didot brothers, who were secretaries at the time and who needed drawings for the edition of Virgil, came into the picture, which they hoped David would provide, but who recommended Simon and Anne Louis Girodet Roucy Trioson , who produced the drawings to their complete satisfaction, and who eventually obtained protection. Simon then painted rather small portraits, in which he tried to find his own style to distinguish himself from David. Simon, for example, dealt with the subject of Cupid and the psyche in a rather naive way. His painting was less thorough in execution and still resembled David's style of expression. His attempts to change his style were severely criticized because his paintings seemed cold and dry.
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He painted one of the more famous paintings "Entry of Henry IV" in 1816, which now hangs in the Louvre opposite the battle scene. The painting shows itself on a high level of art. Simon finally found his own way, in which he depicted truth, liveliness and serious greatness without artificial pomp. He shows himself free of all affectation, with powerful colours. At the latest after this painting Simon was on everyone's lips and he was ennobled by King Louis XVIII to Baron Gérard. In addition, he received a position as royal court painter. From then on, he painted many portraits of famous people such as Napoleon or King Louis XVIII, which he masterfully portrayed.
François-Pascal Simon was born in Rome, but due to his French father he came to Paris at an early age, where he began training as a sculptor with Augustin Paiou at the age of 13. However, he took more pleasure in painting, so he went to the mediocre French painter Albert Victor Eugène Brenet and finally moved to the workshop of the history painter Jacques Louis David, who had a brilliant success and around whom a number of budding painters gathered.
Simon travelled regularly to Rome, but always returned quickly to Paris, otherwise he would have been put on the emigrants list. On his return, he suddenly found himself facing the French Revolution, in which his family was impoverished. His Italian mother had died and he had to provide for both his two brothers and his young aunt whom he married shortly afterwards. It was precisely at this time that the Didot brothers, who were secretaries at the time and who needed drawings for the edition of Virgil, came into the picture, which they hoped David would provide, but who recommended Simon and Anne Louis Girodet Roucy Trioson , who produced the drawings to their complete satisfaction, and who eventually obtained protection. Simon then painted rather small portraits, in which he tried to find his own style to distinguish himself from David. Simon, for example, dealt with the subject of Cupid and the psyche in a rather naive way. His painting was less thorough in execution and still resembled David's style of expression. His attempts to change his style were severely criticized because his paintings seemed cold and dry.
Br/>
He painted one of the more famous paintings "Entry of Henry IV" in 1816, which now hangs in the Louvre opposite the battle scene. The painting shows itself on a high level of art. Simon finally found his own way, in which he depicted truth, liveliness and serious greatness without artificial pomp. He shows himself free of all affectation, with powerful colours. At the latest after this painting Simon was on everyone's lips and he was ennobled by King Louis XVIII to Baron Gérard. In addition, he received a position as royal court painter. From then on, he painted many portraits of famous people such as Napoleon or King Louis XVIII, which he masterfully portrayed.
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