Background
Guérin was born at Toulon, on the 25th of March 1783, of poor parents.
Guérin was born at Toulon, on the 25th of March 1783, of poor parents.
He learnt, as a lad, his father’s trade of a locksmith, whilst at the same time he followed the classes of the free school of art.
Having sold some copies to a local amateur, Guérin started for Paris, where he came under the notice of Vincent, whose counsels were of material service. In 1810 Guérin made his first appearance at the Salon with some portraits, which had a certain success. In 1812 he exhibited “Cain after the murder of Abel” (formerly in Luxembourg), and, on the return of the Bourbons, was much employed in works of restoration and decoration at Versailles.
His success was followed up by a long series of works, of which the following are the more noteworthy: " Dead Christ" (1817), “Christ on the knees of the Virgin” (1819); “Anchises and Venus” (1822) (formerly in Luxembourg); “Ulysses and Minerva” (1824) (Musée de Rennes); “the Holy Family” (1829) (Cathedral, Toulon); and “Saint Catherine” (1838) (St Roch). In his treatment of subject, Guérin attempted to realize rococo graces of conception, the liveliness of which was lost in the strenuous effort to be correct. He died in 1855.
His chief successes were attained by portraits, and those of Charles Nodier and the Abbé Lamennais became widely popular.
In 1817, he won a gold medal for "Jésus mort et la Mère des douleurs" (Jesus who Died and the Mother of Sorrows), created for the Baltimore Basilica, the oldest major Catholic structure in the United States. In 1822 his tableau "Anchise et Vénus" attracted the attention of King Louis XVIII, which earned him the Légion d'honneur and, two years later, the honor of painting the King's portrait.
