Anne-Louis Girodet

The paintings of Anne-Louis Girodet de Roussy-Trioson (1767-1824) exemplify the emergence of the Romantic movement in French art. He studied under the Neoclassicist, Jacques-Louis David in Paris, but Girodet's sensuality was sometimes viewed as scandalous by his teacher. He won several awards in his day, including the Prix de Rome, and received commissions from Napoleon despite his anti-Empire leanings. In 1812, Girodet inherited a large fortune and his work as a painter tapered off. He became quite cloistered, spending his days closed up in his home writing poetry and theories on aesthetics.