Antoine-François Callet

Who was Antoine-François Callet?

Antoine-François Callet, generally known as Antoine Callet, was a French painter of portraits and allegorical works, who acted as official portraitist to Louis XVI.

He won the grand prix de Rome in 1764 with Cléobis et Biton conduisent le char de leur mère au temple de Junon. He was accepted by the Académie des beaux arts in 1779, with his entry piece being a portrait of the comte d'Artois, and received with his allegory Le printemps in 1781. He exhibited at the Salon from 1783 onwards. He painted the centre of the ceiling of the grande galerie of the palais du Luxembourg, with a composition entitled L'Aurore. Under the French Consulate and the First French Empire he painted several more allegories, including an Allégorie du dix-huit brumaire ou la France sauvée and an Allégorie de la bataille d'Austerlitz.