Subleyras, Pierre-Hubert

(1699-1749)

   painter

   Born in Saint-Gilles-du-Gard and trained in studios in Toulouse and Paris, where he won the first prize at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1728, Pierre-Hubert Subleyras in 1728 settled in Rome. There, he was in demand among the religious establishment and the aristocracy. In 1740, he became a member of the prestigious Roman Academy of Saint Luke. The following year, pope Benedict XIV commissioned his portrait and, in 1747, Une messe de saint Basile for Saint Peter's. Subleyra's work stands between portraiture and historic themes, although he also did landscapes, still lifes, nudes, and street scenes. While the influence of other artists is evident in the formation of Subleyras's style, he cannot be assigned to any particular school and remains a unique figure who used contrasting colors with a great sense of refinement.