Jean Etienne Liotard

Jean Etienne Liotard

Liotard, Jean-Etienne
(1702 Geneva - 1789 Geneva)
Liotard was the son of a goldsmith and studied under Danielle Gardelle and as of 1723 under Jean-Baptiste Massé. In 1736 he first travelled to Italy and later moved on to Istanbul where he lived for 5 years. In 1743 he went to Vienna where he portraited the imperial family with considerable success. In 1745 he travelled to Venice, the following year to Darmstadt and in 1777 to Lyon and eventually back to his native town Geneva. From 1748 to 1753 Liotard worked in Paris, was appointed court painter there and admitted to the Académie Saint-Luc, where he exhibited his works between 1751 and 1753. In 1753 he went to London and Holland where he married. Further travels led him again to Geneva, London and Vienna.
Although he mainly worked on pastel drawings he also painted miniatures and enamels.
His enamel self-portrait was owned by the Musée de l' Horlogerie in Geneva but has been stolen.