Joseph Marie Vien

Born in Montpellier in 1716, Joseph-Marie Vien was a pivotal figure in French painting, often seen as a precursor to Neoclassicism. Early in his career, he was a protégé of the Comte de Caylus and trained in the studio of Natoire, eventually winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1745. During his time in Rome, Vien dedicated himself to studying nature and the classical masterpieces around him, developing a style that was quite distinct from the prevailing Rococo tastes of t…