Jean-Martial Frédou
Encyclopedia
Jean-Martial Frédou was a French painter known for his portraits.
Born at Fontenay-Saint-Père
, Frédou was attached to the Cabinet du Roi
housed in the Hôtel de la Surintendance
at Versailles
, where he was commissioned to render duplicates of official portraits of the French royal family painted by Jean-Marc Nattier
, Maurice Quentin de La Tour
, Louis-Michel Van Loo
, Alexander Roslin
or Joseph Siffred Duplessis.
In his own commissions he often borrowed elements from the original works of these painters, for he was a deft portraitist himself. Between 1760 and 1762 the dauphine Marie-Josèphe de Saxe, daughter-in-law of Louis XV
commissioned informal portraits of herself and her children, for her own use. These portraits, whether in oil or drawn aux trois crayons
, touched with pastels, have freshness and life.
A modest commission came from the Dauphin and Dauphine in 1757: in 1748 they had earth brought in to the little courtyard of their private apartments at the château de Versailles, closed in with trelliswork, to make a little garden; and Frédou was commissiomed to paint two perspective panels to enlarge the little space.
Frédou was never made a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, but he was made First Painter to the comte de Provence
in 1776 upon the death of François-Hubert Drouais
.
Born at Fontenay-Saint-Père
Fontenay-Saint-Père
Fontenay-Saint-Père is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.-References:*...
, Frédou was attached to the Cabinet du Roi
Menus-Plaisirs du Roi
The Menus-Plaisirs du Roi was, in the organisation of the French royal household under the Ancien Régime, the department of the Maison du Roi responsible for the "lesser pleasures of the King", which meant in practice that it was in charge of all the preparations for ceremonies, events and...
housed in the Hôtel de la Surintendance
Menus-Plaisirs du Roi
The Menus-Plaisirs du Roi was, in the organisation of the French royal household under the Ancien Régime, the department of the Maison du Roi responsible for the "lesser pleasures of the King", which meant in practice that it was in charge of all the preparations for ceremonies, events and...
at Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, where he was commissioned to render duplicates of official portraits of the French royal family painted by Jean-Marc Nattier
Jean-Marc Nattier
Jean-Marc Nattier , French painter, was born in Paris, the second son of Marc Nattier , a portrait painter, and of Marie Courtois , a miniaturist...
, Maurice Quentin de La Tour
Maurice Quentin de La Tour
Maurice Quentin de La Tour was a French Rococo portraitist who worked primarily with pastels. Among his most famous subjects were Voltaire, Rousseau, Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour.-Biography:...
, Louis-Michel Van Loo
Louis-Michel van Loo
Louis-Michel van Loo was a French painter.He studied under his father, the painter Jean-Baptiste van Loo, at Turin and Rome, and he won a prize at the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris in 1725...
, Alexander Roslin
Alexander Roslin
Alexander Roslin was a Swedish portrait painter.-Life:Roslin was born on July 15, 1718, in Malmö, Sweden. In 1759 he married Marie-Suzanne Giroust. He plied his trade in Stockholm, Bayreuth, Vienna, Paris and Italy...
or Joseph Siffred Duplessis.
In his own commissions he often borrowed elements from the original works of these painters, for he was a deft portraitist himself. Between 1760 and 1762 the dauphine Marie-Josèphe de Saxe, daughter-in-law of Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
commissioned informal portraits of herself and her children, for her own use. These portraits, whether in oil or drawn aux trois crayons
Trois crayons
Trois crayons refers to a drawing technique using three colors of chalk: red , black, and white. The paper used may be a mid-tone such as grey, blue, or tan. Among numerous others, the French painter Antoine Watteau drew studies of figures and drapery aux trois crayons....
, touched with pastels, have freshness and life.
A modest commission came from the Dauphin and Dauphine in 1757: in 1748 they had earth brought in to the little courtyard of their private apartments at the château de Versailles, closed in with trelliswork, to make a little garden; and Frédou was commissiomed to paint two perspective panels to enlarge the little space.
Frédou was never made a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture, but he was made First Painter to the comte de Provence
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
in 1776 upon the death of François-Hubert Drouais
François-Hubert Drouais
François-Hubert Drouais was a French painter and the father of Jean-Germain Drouais.Drouais was born and died in Paris. He specialized in portraits of the French nobility, foreign aristocrats, writers, and other artists. Some of his portraits include Louis XV's last two mistresses, Madame de...
.