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Charles Le Brun
1619-1690
As First Painter to the King, Charles Le Brun defined the visual identity of Louis XIV's reign. Trained under Vouet and later in Rome under Poussin, he returned to France with a comprehensive vision for decorative design.
His best-known work is the decoration of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles (1679-1684), a cycle glorifying the king's achievements that would define French monarchical imagery for a century. He also painted the Salon de la Guerre and the Salon de la Paix.
As director of the Académie royale de peinture and the Gobelins manufactory, he oversaw the entire visual program of the royal court. It was at Vaux-le-Vicomte, working for Nicolas Fouquet, that he first developed his team and his artistic language.
