Nicolas-Guy Brenet
Illustration — Portrait by Antoine Vestier, 1786 • Illustration — Nicolas-Guy Brenet, Sleeping Endymion, 1756. Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, USA Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1 July 1728 — 21 February 1792) was a French history painter. Brenet was born and died in Paris.
Also recorded as Nicolas Guy Brenet · Brennet · Brené · Brenet
Nicolas-Guy Brenet

Antoine Vestier · Public domain
- Born
- 1728 · Paris.
- Died
- 1792 · Paris.
- Nationality
- France
- Occupation
- painter · artist
- Fields
- history
- Teachers
- François Boucher
- Languages
- French
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Illustration — Portrait by Antoine Vestier, 1786 • Illustration — Nicolas-Guy Brenet, Sleeping Endymion, 1756. Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, USA Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1 July 1728 — 21 February 1792) was a French history painter. Brenet was born and died in Paris.
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wikidata · Q3340395 · wikipedia · Nicolas-Guy Brenet
In this article
Identity and origins
Identity and origins
He studied in the atelier of François Boucher, but abandoned his master's rococo manner in the 1760s, to paint in a conscious revival of the academic classicism of Nicolas Poussin. His cycle of religious paintings for Montmerle Charterhouse near Dijon lies securely in the mainstream of French religious painting. His enormous Battle of the Greeks and Trojans over the Body of Patroclus is an example of the new direction of official art in France. In his unusual and precocious choice of medieval subjects, as they were commissioned by the official Bâtiments du roi, his work foreshadowed the style troubadour of the 19th century. Notable works, both now lost, are The Roman Farmer (exhibited at the Salon of 1775) and Cincinnatus Made Dictator (Salon of 1779). He was the father of Nicolas-Guy-Antoine Brenet (1773–1846), a medallist.
Training under François Boucher is recorded. Nicolas-Antoine Taunay, François Gérard and Nicolas-Guy-Antoine Brenet are recorded as having studied under Nicolas-Guy Brenet. The recorded working language is French. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are history. Places of work recorded in the authority are Rome, Lyon and Paris. Work by Nicolas-Guy Brenet is recorded in the collections of Museo del Prado, Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Strasbourg, Utah Museum of Fine Arts and Musée Carnavalet.
The authorities additionally record the headings Nicolas Guy Brenet, Brennet, Brené, Brenet and M. His recorded language was French. Other recorded relations include Nicolas-Guy-Antoine Brenet.
Identity
Identity
Nicolas-Guy Brenet is recorded as painter and artist.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1728
Nicolas-Guy Brenet born at Paris.
1792
Nicolas-Guy Brenet died at Paris.
Primary material
Digitised editions and texts
Compte rendu d'exposition: Nicolas-Guy Brenet, la première rétrospective (Douai) (2025) — DataCite (GRHAM)
Livre « Nicolas-Guy Brenet 1728-1792 », par Marie Fournier (2023) — DataCite (Société de l’histoire de l’art français (SHAF))
Nicolas-Guy Brenet (2023) — Open Library
Literature
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Nicolas-Guy Brenet (1728-1792), peintre. Collections du Louvre.
- 2.Antiquités nationales ou Recueil de monumens pour servir à l'histoire générale et particulière de l'empire françois, tels que tombeaux, inscriptions, statues…. M. F. Drouhin. Tome quatrième. 1790-1798.
- 3.Joconde 05620000037 .
- 4.; étude pour Metellus sauvé par son fils, exposé au Salon de 1779, musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes.
- 5.Joconde M0352003045 .
- 6.Fils de Scipion, Nantes. Musée d'arts de Nantes.
- 7.Le Serment d'Achille sur le corps de Patrocle, Nicolas-Guy Brenet, sur Cat'zArts.
- 8.Emmanuelle Brugerolles (dir.), De l’alcôve aux barricades de Fragonard à David, Beaux-Arts de Paris les éditions, 2016, , Cat. 42.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 4
- Marc Sandoz, Nicolas-Guy Brenet, Paris, Éditart - Quatre Chemins, 1979, 152 p.
- Emmanuel Bénézit, Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs, 1976, Tome 2, ( lire en ligne dans la base Oxford Index).
- Pierre Henri Darreau, « Nicolas-Guy Brenet et le renouveau de la peinture d'Histoire », L'Estampille - l'Objet d'Art, , .
- Marie Fournier, Nicolas-Guy Brenet, 1728-1792, Paris, Arthena, 2023.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q3340395: Nicolas-Guy BrenetWikimedia Foundation
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Secondary witness
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Further particulars
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Further particulars
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He trained under François Boucher. Each of those relationships is stated by the authority record rather than inferred from style.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Paintings
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