48 - Charles Le Brun (Paris 1619–1690) Study of

Charles Le Brun (Paris 1619–1690) Study of Moses and the Bronze Serpent Oil on panel 83 x 109 cm This work is a counterpart to the painting housed at the Bristol Museums, which was translated into an engraving by Benoît Audran; see: https://collections.bristolmuseums.org.uk/collections/a2232b00-7006-302b-816d-618abc28c45e/ Born into a family of artists, his father Nicolas, a sculptor, was his first teacher. Between 1642 and 1646, he was in Rome with Poussin to study the great masters of the Renaissance; in particular, he was fascinated by Raphael and ancient monuments. Upon his return to the French capital, Charles established himself and was elected director of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. Later, given his great success as a church painter, he was appointed Premier Peintre du Roi by King Louis XIV. Building on his position and standing at court, he served as director of the Gobelins tapestry workshop, prince of the Academy of San Luca, and worked in the royal residences of the Louvre, Fontainebleau, Saint-Germain, and, above all, Versailles. Charles Le Brun (Paris 1619–1690) circle of Moses and the Brazen Serpent Oil on panel 83 × 109 cm This work is a reverse version of the painting held by Bristol Museums, which was later translated into an engraving by Benoît Audran. See the Bristol Museums collection entry: https://collections.bristolmuseums.org.uk/collections/a2232b00-7006-302b-816d-618abc28c45e/