Etienne Jeaurat

1699 – 1789

French painter and draughtsman. He was a favourite pupil of Nicolas Vleughels, who, when appointed director of the Académie Française in Rome in 1724, took Jeaurat with him, though it is hard to discern any Italian influence at all in Jeaurat's work. Jeaurat was approved (agréé) by the Académie Royale, Paris, in 1731 and was received (reçu) two years later as a history painter with his Pyramis and Thisbe (1733; Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie Déchelette, Roanne). Jeaurat rose to the highest posts in the Académie, becoming professor in 1743, rector in 1765 and chancellor in 1781. He exhibited regularly at the Salon between 1737 and 1769, and the Gobelins factory made tapestries after his designs. Unlike his exact contemporary Chardin, whom tried to imitate, Jeaurat had a highly successful official career with his many posts. The older brother of Etienne Jeaurat, Edmond (Edme) Jeaurat (1688-1738), was engraver. The son the latter, Nicolas Henry Jeaurat, was also painter and studied under his uncle.

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