Vouet, Simon (1590–1649)

French painter. Producing religious and historical works, he developed a classical style that foreshadowed that of Nicolas Poussin. He lived in Italy 1613–27, where he won the patronage of Pope Urban VIII, and on his return he became principal painter to Louis XIII. Presentation in the Temple (Louvre, Paris) is typical.

Vouet was born in Paris, and was a pupil of his father, Laurent Vouet. Precocious in talent, he is said to have painted portraits in England at the age of 14. He accompanied the French ambassador to Constantinople 1611 and stayed in Italy 1612–27, becoming president of the Academy of St Luke 1624. Eclectic in style, he was influenced by Caravaggio, Guido Reni, and Paolo Veronese, but shaped and refined these elements successfully into a form of classicism that had a profound influence on 17th-century French art.