Gallery of the Masters Fine Art Gallery

Brief Biography-Charles Joseph Natoire from Nîmes was one of the most noted Rococo painters of his time. His initial tuition was from his father Florent who was a sculptor but his most prominent tutor was François Lemoyne. His work became ranked alongside that of François Boucher and he included tapestry cartoons and cabinet pictures in his output. By 1751 he was selected Director of the French Academy in Rome where he retired to after spending most of his career in Paris. With the advent of the neoclassical style in the latter years of his life he preferred to spend his time in a teaching capacity. Two of his most renowned students were Joseph Marie Vien and François Hubert Drouais.