Name Jean Girardet | ||
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Jean Girardet (1709–1778) was a French painter of portrait miniatures.
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Early life
Girardet was born in Luneville, and initially tried a number of fields including as a seminarian, a law student, and a cavalry officer. He settled on art after enrolling in Nancy-Universite, under the direction of Claude Charles (1661-1747). He completed his studies in 1738.
Painting
He became a talented portraitist, and became the official painter of Stanislaw Leszczynski, where he would be commissioned to paint all the courtiers and artists and nobility. Girardet was appointed "Ordinary Painter to the King of Poland" in 1758. He also excelled in large decorative and religious paintings. His works adorn the Toul Cathedral, as well as churches in Luneville, Chanteheux, Commercy, Verdun and Metz. One of his most successful works were the paintings of the City Hall of Nancy. He is also the author of one of the first paintings dedicated to the Sacred Heart in St. Stephen's Toul Cathedral.
Teaching
Although there was no local academy, Girardet taught fine arts in workshops, some of which had as many as a 140 students. In 1758, he was appointed "First Painter." In 1766, after the death of Leszczynski, the queen of France Marie Leszczynska, only surviving daughter of Leszczynski, took him into his service.
Death
Girardet continued his work at Versailles but returned quickly to Nancy where he died in his house at No. 31 rue Saint-Jean, Nancy. He was buried in the cemetery of St. Sebastian Church Nancy.