Simon Vouet - Early successes as a portrait painter; long sojourn in Italy
Simon Vouet was born in Paris on 9th January, 1590. He learnt the basics of art from his father, who was already working as a painter in Paris, and his younger brother Aubin Vouet also followed this path. Simon Vouet initially focussed on portrait painting and was so successful that he was called to England at the age of just 14 to fulfil commissions there. He made such a brilliant impression that the French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Baron de Sancy, appointed him to his entourage and took him with him to Constantinople. From Constantinople, Vouet travelled to Italy, first to Venice in 1612 and then to Rome in 1614. During this time, he had much contact with the growing art of the Baroque period, which made a strong impression on him. The generous financial support of the French king and other well-known personalities such as the Barberini family, Vincenzo Giustiniani, Cassiano dal Pozzo and Paolo Giordano Orsini enabled him to study extensively and concentrate exclusively on painting.
Great success in Italy and France; influential court painter
In 1626, Simon Vouet married the painter Virginia de Vezzo, famous for her beauty, and who served as a model for many of his paintings in great female roles such as the Madonna. Their son, Louis-René Vouet was also a painter, as were their later son-in-law Michel Dorigny and François Tortebat as well as their grandson Ludovico Dorigny. Despite his great success in Rome which culminated in his election as President of the Accademia di San Luca, Vouet returned to France in 1627 at the express wish of Louis XIII. In this role, he created wall hangings, paintings and portraits for royal palaces such as the Palais de Louvre and the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and Cardinal Richelieu commissioned the painter with the interior design of Château de Malmaison and the Palais-Royal. A large number of the works from this time are now lost.
Influential and leading figure; exclusion from the Academy
Simon Vouet was distinguished by his great curiosity and willingness to learn. He was fascinated by all trends he came across, absorbed them eagerly and through their merging, refinement and dissemination, had a great influence on the painting style of his French home. Whilst strongly influenced by chiaroscuro and Caravaggio at the beginning, he later chose fresher colours and subtler shadowing. He influenced a whole generation of painters, but not without some tension. For a time, he used his powerful position to set up a rival painting school and to enforce his style on his rivals. His students included Philippe de Champaigne, Nicolas Poussin and, in particular, Charles le Brun, with whom he had a serious quarrel resulting in Simon Vouet being forced to leave the Académie Royale.
Simon Vouet died on 30th June 1649 at the age of 59 in his hometown of Paris.
Simon Vouet - Works that have already been sold at Kunsthaus Lempertz:
