4.04. 1758 – 14.02. 1823

Pierre Paul Prudhon was born on April 4, 1758 in the family of a stone carver. In 1773, Pierre Paul Prudhon moved to Dijon, where he began his studies at the Art School. Later, to continue his studies, the artist goes to Paris and enters the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture.

In 1784, Prudhon received the Roman Prize, giving the right to go to study in Rome. The journey through the Apennine peninsula took the artist more than four years. During the trip, Prudhon studied the work of Italian artists. A great impression on him produced the works of Leonardo da Vinci and Antonio da Correggio.

Returning to Paris, the artist begins to make a living by drawing. His first order Prudhon receives in 1798 – painting the ceiling in the palace of Saint-Cloud.

After Napoleon comes to power, Prudhon performs court orders. The artist was repeatedly given work by the Empress Josephine and Maria-Louise of Austria.

The artist is known for his paintings on mythological, allegorical subjects. In addition, Prudhon was one of the outstanding portraitists of his time. “Portrait of Josephine Beauharnais”, “Portrait of Empress Maria Louise”, “Madame Jarre” – paintings that clearly demonstrate the artist’s talent to convey the mood of the model subtly.

In the works of Prudhon, you can trace the features of late classicism, which are harmoniously combined with softness in the manner of performance. The works of Prudhon are characterized by some sentimentality, and in this regard they anticipate their time. Prudhon seems to be peering into the era of Romanticism.

In addition to creating paintings, Pierre Paul Prudhon also developed interiors in the spirit of classicism.