born Sept. 29, 1703, Paris, Fr.
died May 30, 1770, Paris
French painter, engraver, and designer.
He was probably trained by his father, a minor painter. In 1723 he won the Prix de Rome, but he was unable to travel to Italy until 1728. For his first major commission he produced 125 engravings of drawings by Pompadour at Versailles. His playful style and frivolous subject matter exemplify the {{link=Rococo style">Rococo style and embody the elegant superficiality of French court life in the mid 18th century. He became a member of the Royal Academy in 1734, a principal designer for the royal porcelain factories, and director of the Gobelins tapestry factory. In 1765 he was appointed director of the Royal Academy and first painter to Louis XV . One of the great painters and draftsmen of the 18th century, he mastered every branch of decorative and illustrative painting.