Charles-Joseph Natoire

Charles-Joseph Natoire, born in Nîmes on March 3, 1700 and died in Castel Gandolfo on August 23, 1777, was a French painter. He began training in Paris in 1717 in the studio of Louis Galloche, then with François Lemoyne. On August 30, 1721, he won first prize at the Royal Academy. He was then appointed by the Duke of Antin to be fellow de the Academy de France à Rome, where he arrived in October 1723. He executed a copy of Pierre de Cortone's "Abduction of the Sabines", as well as an overdoor depicting Diana for the Palazzo Mancini, where the Academy de France à Rome moved in 1725. Natoire left again in 1729 and established his reputation in Paris, where he received numerous commissions.

In 1751, Natoire was appointed director of the Academy de France à Rome, a position he held until 1775. During his tenure, Natoire advocated drawing directly from life in the open air, a departure from the original mission of the Academy, which had hitherto focused on the study of Antiquity and the human figure.