Louis de Boullogne

First Painter to the King

Born into a family of painters, Louis de Boullogne (Paris, 1654 – 1733) typifies a generation of artists trained by France’s new Académie de peinture et de sculpture, the institution he later served as one of its highest-ranking officials.

His supple, elegant style effected a brilliant transition between the Classical and Rococo periods. He was also – and not least – a formidably talented draughtsman.

With almost two hundred sheets, the Louvre’s Department of Prints and Drawings is proud to hold by far the world’s largest public collection of drawings by Louis de Boullogne – an important ensemble representing the full range of his exceptional graphic output. Selected drawings from this rich collection highlight Louis de Boullogne’s brilliant career, and illustrate the many facets of his talent as a draughtsman – in particular his remarkable preparatory sketches in black and white chalk on blue paper.

Louis de Boullogne (Louis Boullogne II)
Kurator: Helene Guicharnaud