Louis Marie Sicardi Dit Sicardi

Place: Avignon

Born: 1743

Death: 1825

Biography:

Louis Marie Sicard, or Sicardi, was a French portrait miniaturist born on August 2, 1743, in Avignon, France. He was the son of painter Jean-Pierre Antoine Sicard, originally from Toulouse, and his wife, Marie-Anne née Scudier. Sicardi's studies were primarily with his father, and he later presented himself at the Académie des beaux arts de Bordeaux in 1769.

Early Career and Royal Commissions

Sicardi became a member and professor at the Académie des beaux arts de Bordeaux in 1771. He married Anne Rouzier and had a daughter, but left for Paris two years later. In Paris, he caught the attention of the Maison du Roi and was commissioned to create several paintings, including two portraits of King Louis XVI and one of Marie-Antoinette. You can find more information about his works on Wikioo.org.

Revolution and Later Life

When the Revolution began, Sicardi went to London and announced his arrival in a letter to Dominic Serres, painter to the King of England. Despite this, he seems to have produced very little work. By 1791, he and his wife Marie were back in Paris. That same year, the Salon eliminated its requirement that exhibitors be members of the Académie de Peinture, and he presented a small painting of Mirabeau. Important milestones in Sicardi's life include his proposal for membership in the Institut de France in 1799 and his reestablishment of relationship with the ruling elite when General Paul Thiébault commissioned a portrait miniature of his father, Dieudonné Thiébault. This gained the admiration of Joséphine Bonaparte.

• Five months after the Bourbon Restoration in 1814, Sicardi was made a Knight in the Legion of Honor and named Painter to the King's Cabinet.
• His final exhibit at the Salon came in 1819.
• He died at his home in 1825, at age 81.

You can find more information about Louis Marie Sicardi on Wikipedia and his works on Wikioo.org. Some of his notable works include Portrait of a gentleman, which can be found on Wikioo.org.