Follow the tour guide! French paintings

Little is known about Nicolas Chaperon: initially a student of painter Simon Vouet, he was influenced early by Nicolas Poussin. He travelled to Rome around 1642, entrusted by Poussin to copy the works of Raphael. His 54 engravings after the Vatican Loggias were the most popular reproduction among workshops.

This painting refers to a biblical episode from the book of Number, where Moses used bronze snakes to protect the Israelites from the bites of burning snakes sent by Yahweh. This story discusses the power of images in the ancient Near East.

The snake symbol has a very ambiguous meaning. It is considered both a symbol of life and death. The serpent of the book of Genesis represents evil, while that of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, symbolizes rebirth and healing. Here, the snakes kill and then heal.

More than any other artist of his time, Boucher exemplifies 18th century French art. His refined brushstrokes, the sheer sensuality of his drawing, and his taste for mythology and genre scenes all helped to make him the epitome of a libertine and frivolous century. 

Given its small size, this painting, purchased by the museum in 1827, was certainly intended for an amateur cabinet. Its engraving, also kept in the museum, informs us that it was created for Monsieur Papillon de la Ferté, Intendant of the King.

This work displays the elegance and sophistication of Boucher's style, his distinctive pastel palette, and the unparalleled charm of his figures. The title refers to the little dog that has raised itself on its legs and is rewarded with a treat given by its master.

A painter native of Nîmes, Sigalon studied in Paris and then made his mark by exhibiting The Courtesan (La courtisane) at the 1822 Paris Salon—the official art exhibition of the fine art academy—which was acquired by the Louvre. The quality of this first contribution positioned him alongside Eugène Delacroix as one of the most promising Romantic painters.

The subject was inspired during a performance of Jean Racine's play Britannicus by these verses of Narcissus to Nero: "My lord, I have provided everything. Required for this just death/The poison is ready; The famous Locusta/has excelled herself/She made a slave die before my eyes."

Narcissus is sitting, contemplating the agony of the ill-fated slave on whom Locusta has tested the poison that must free Nero from Britannicus, who is about to be appointed emperor. The light leads the eye to the slave's body adding to the dramatic tension.

A discovery of the 1824 Paris Salon, the painting Locusta was bought by a banker and then exchanged for another painting, as his wife could not stand the cruelty of this depiction in her daily life. The museum also keeps a preparatory study of this work and other works by the artist.

This historical scene is romanticized, Colin depicts King Francis I of France kneeling before a stela and clearing dusting himself off to decipher the Roman inscriptions. A crowd of courtiers accompanies him, but they don't pay much attention to his deciphering …

The painter evokes the role of the French king as a patron and scholar, who restored to the city the arms of the former Roman colony (depicting a crocodile and a palm tree) and ordered the dismantling of the buildings that defaced the ancient amphitheater and the Maison Carrée.

The representation is typical of the troubadour style painting, which mainly drew its inspiration from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Colin donated this painting to the city of Nîmes in 1838 when he returned to Paris. It was displayed at the Maison Carrée museum, then at the city hall until 1988.