Jules-Eugène Lenepveu, 1819-1898 : Peintre Du Monumental

Exhibition at the Musée des beaux-arts d'Angers, 24 June 2022 - 8 January 2023

Born in Angers in 1819, Jules-Eugène Lenepveu, a history painter and excellent draughtsman, had a brilliant official career during the Second Empire: he was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1847, became a member of the Institute in 1869, and was director of the Académie de France in Rome in 1873. He created numerous monumental paintings for the Paris Opera, the Louvre Museum, the Panthéon, and in many churches and private mansions. Highly prized by both public and private clients, he multiplied his preparatory drawings and exhibited many times at the Salon.

Although most of his decorations are now little seen or inaccessible, this monographic exhibition catalogue sets out, through eighteen essays and a very rich iconography, to explore the whole of his work and to pay tribute to this prolific artist, a key figure in the history of 19th century art.