Pair Of Engravings With Historical Subject- Guillaume Guillon Lethière

The two engravings, fitted with passe-partouts and framed, depict two historical episodes, to which their titles refer: "Brutus condemns his sons to death" and "The death of Virginia."The works are drawn from the work of French painter Guillame Guillon Lethière (Sainte-Anne, 1760 - Paris, 1832), who showed a marked artistic inclination as a child. His father, when he noticed his vocation, decided to take him with him to France. Thus, young Lethière was able to begin his studies at the School of Fine Arts in Rouen and continue them at the Royal School of Painting and Sculpture in Paris. He participated in the Prix de Rome in 1786, coming second, and in 1788, still not winning but getting a grant to go to Rome to perfect his style. Here he achieved fame and success, which were also confirmed in France upon his return, where he opened a studio in competition with Jacques-Louis David. Banished from Paris, he went through a difficult period but his talent was again recognized through his friendship with Lucien Bonaparte and, in 1811, he was appointed director of the French Academy in Rome.