Pierre Parrocel

1670 – 1739

French painter and printmaker, a prolific painter of religious works, particularly for foundations in his native Provence. The second son of Louis Parrocel (1634-1694) and grandson of Barthélemy Parrocel (1595-1660), Pierre Parrocel first studied with his uncle Joseph before going to Rome to work in the studio of Carlo Maratti. Returning to France, he moved about between Languedoc, Provence and the Venaissin, leaving evidence of his talent in all these places. He was married for the first time in Avignon in 1690 to Marie Anne de Seisson. His second wife, whom he married in 1695, was Marie Magdeleine de Pallas by whom he had eight children. Two of them, Pierre Ignace (1702-1775) and Joseph François (1704-1781), were to be artists. Pierre was recognised by the Académie Royale as a history painter in 1730 but never became a member. Of all the Parrocels, Pierre was the one to produce the largest number of works in the south of France, thus exercising a considerable influence on the development of southern French painting. He painted 16 pictures for the gallery of the Hôtel de Noailles in St-Germain-en-Laye depicting the story of Tobias. Engraved several times, these paintings were sold in 1770 to Borély.

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