Nicolas Wleughels

Nicolas Wleughels, born in Paris in 1668 and died in Rome in 1737, was a French painter. In his youth, he was a pupil of Pierre Mignard. Wleughles was also a close friend of Antoine Watteau. In 1725, Le Duc d'Antin, then Superintendant des Bâtiments, appointed him director of the Académie de France in Rome. He remained so until 1737. One of Wleughels' first concerns was to find a new home for the Academy. The Palazzo Capranica suffered from obscure workshops and a lack of space. He hesitated to choose the Palazzo Farnese, but in 1725 finally signed a lease for the Palazzo Mancini, which remained the Academy's headquarters until the French Revolution.

Wleughels's tenure was a golden period: none of the previous directors had benefited from such substantial financial resources. The Academy took off, producing talent and works of art. The palace was renovated and fully furnished. The reputation of the Academy is at its height.