Simon François de Tours
Simon François, called
Simon François de Tours or
Le petit François, a
French painter, was born at
Tours in
1606. Without the help of a master, he had made some progress in the art, when he went to Italy, where he studied some years. At
Bologna he became acquainted with
Guido Reni, who made him a present of his
portrait, painted by himself. On his return to France he settled in
Paris, where he painted the portrait of
Louis XIV as
Dauphin, and many other distinguished personages, so much to the satisfaction of the court, that he looked forward with confidence to the acquisition of fortune and fame. In these flattering expectations he was, however, disappointed, for he fell into disgrace, and died in obscurity in Paris in
1671. He painted for several
churches, and is said to have etched a ''Magdalen in a Cavern,'' and a ''St. Sebastian,'' two plates of a good design and a noble expression.
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