François-Hubert Drouais

Drouais's work was admired during his lifetime, and his popularity and clientele did not diminish from the occasional adverse judgement published in Salon reviews. Drouais was apprenticed successively to his father Hubert Drouais, Donat Nonnotte, Charles-André van Loo, Charles-Joseph Natoire, and François Boucher. He was received into the Académie royale in 1758 with his morceaux des réception portraits of the celebrated sculptors Edme Bouchardon (1698–1762) and Guillaume II Coustou (1716–77). Both portraits were exhibited at the Salon of 1759 and received praise. Drouais was a favourite portrait painter of Jeanne Beçu, comtesse du Barry (1743–93) and, from 1772 until his death, held the position of premier peintre to Louis-Stanislas-Xavier, comte de Provence (1755–1824), known as Monsieur, later Louis XVIII. Mesdames de France, the daughters of Louis XV, were also important patrons. They recommended him to their father, Louis XV, when a portraitist was sought to travel to Vienna to paint the young Marie-Antoinette. Drouais was approached, but his commission fee was regarded as too high. Joseph Ducreux went instead. Some of Drouais's pupils include Catherine Lusurier, his son Jean-Germain Drouais, Jean-Louis Voille, and Pierre-Hippolyte Lemoyne. Among his portraits include those of Louis XV, Louis's official mistresses Madame de Pompadour and Madame du Barry, Mesdames de France, the comte and comtesse de Provence, the comte de Buffon, Madame Favart, and the young Marie Antoinette.

The recorded working language is French. The field of work recorded is painting. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are portrait. Places of work recorded in the authority are Paris. Works named in the authority record are Children of the Marquis de Béthune Playing with a Dog and Carlos Fernando FitzJames-Stuart, Marquess of Jamaica. Work by François-Hubert Drouais is recorded in the collections of Minneapolis Institute of Art, Museo del Prado, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, National Gallery of Victoria and Nationalmuseum.

• Name — François-Hubert Drouais • Born — 14 December 1727 • Birthplace — Paris, France • Died — 21 October 1775 • Place of death — Paris, France • Children — Jean-Germain Drouais • Father — Hubert Drouais • Elected — Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture • Patrons — Hubert Drouais Donat Nonnotte Charles-André van Loo Charles-Joseph Natoire

• Illustration — Alexandrine Le Normant d'Étiolles (1750), Musée Cognacq-Jay • Illustration — The Comte and Chevalier de Choiseul as Savoyards (1758), Frick Collection • Illustration — Portrait of the Comte de Vaudreuil (1758), National Gallery • Illustration — Hubert Drouais, the Artist's father (ca 1760), Nationalmuseum • Illustration — Madame Sophie de France (1762), Metropolitan Museum of Art • Illustration — Madame du Barry (1769), Château de Versailles • Illustration — Portrait of Maria Theresa of Savoy (1775), Château de Versailles • Illustration — Georges-Louis Leclerc, comte de Buffon (1707–1788), Musée Buffon • Illustration — Madame de Pompadour at her Tambour Frame (1763–1764), National Gallery • Illustration — Madame Drouais (1758), Louvre Museum • Illustration — Monsieur Denis-Paul le Pot de la Fontaine (?), 1772, oil on canvas, Detroit Institute of Arts • Illustration — The de Sourches family (1756), Palace of Versailles • Illustration — Drouais's signature in Family Portrait in the collection of the National Gallery of Art

The authorities additionally record the headings François Hubert Drouais, Francois-Hubert Drouais, Drouais Le Fils Drouais, Francois Hubert Drouais le fils and Francois Hubert Drouais.

Works recorded as notable number 2: Children of the Marquis de Béthune Playing with a Dog and Carlos Fernando FitzJames-Stuart, Marquess of Jamaica. His recorded genre is portrait.