Michel-François Dandré-Bardon

Académie d'homme, Musée des beaux-arts, Marseille

Michel François André-Bardon, an historical painter and etcher, was born at Aix, in Provence, in 1700. He himself signed his name Dandré-Bardon, or D. Bardon, because his uncle, Louis Bardon, made him his heir on condition that he continued the name of Bardon; but his real name was André, as the registers of the church of St. Madeleine testify. Michel François was destined by his parents for jurisprudence, and studied at Paris. In 1719 he began to design during his leisure hours under the direction of J. B. van Loo, and studied painting with J. F. de Troy. His progress was so rapid, that he obtained, in 1725, the second prize at the Royal Academy. He went afterwards to Rome, and after being there six years he returned to France, through Venice, where he stayed six months. He painted the Palais-de-Justice, the Hôtel-de-Ville (which perished in 1792), and the church of St. Jerome, at Aix. He went to Paris, where he displayed his talents, not only as a painter and etcher, but also as a poet and writer. In 1735 he became a member of the Academy; in 1752 professor; afterwards secretary; and finally teacher of historical painting. He was also the founder of the Académie des Beaux-Arts at Marseilles. André designed with great facility, and was a perfect master in representing the nude. He died at Paris in 1785.

The following are his best works:

• Aix. Museum, The Emperor Augustus ordering the punishment of the robbers of the State money. (Signed Dandré-Bardon aquisextiensis pinxit Romae Aetat. Suae 29 Anno 1729.)
• ~ Palais-de-Justice. Allegorical Figures of the Virtues.
• Marseilles. Mus. Christ on the Cross.
• Montpellier. Mus. Tullia driving over the dead body of Servius Tullius.

The work which he executed of ' Jason ploughing,' intended for the tapestry manufactory at Beauvais, has disappeared. The following are his most important etchings:

• The Dead Body of Christ.
• Two Dead Children at the entrance of a vault.
• The Burial of the Dead.
• Johannes Snellinks; after Van Dijck.

External link

References

This article incorporates text from the article "ANDRE-BARDON, Michel François" in Bryan's Dictionary of Painters and Engravers by Michael Bryan, edited by Robert Edmund Graves and Sir Walter Armstrong, an 1886–1889 publication now in the public domain.

Persondata
Name	Dandre Bardon, Michel Francois
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1700
Place of birth
Date of death	1785
Place of death