18th Century art in the Augustins museum, ranging from the end of the baroque period to the beginnings of neo-classicism, is above all rich in French works. Portraiture figures in first place with masterpieces by such painters as Nicolas de Largillierre and Élisabeth-Louise Vigée-Lebrun (Portrait of the baroness of Crussol). A Portrait of a woman by Francesco Solimena brings a delightful counterpoint to the French works on display. The various traditions in landscape painting in the 18th century are also presented, with works by Oudry and Valenciennes. The museum displays a fine ensemble of historical paintings dating from the middle of the 18th century, from Jean-François de Troy to Pierre Peyron. Landscapes The museum is home to several landscapes by Pierre-Henri de Valenciennes, one of which is the outstanding Eruption of Vesuvius, an exemplary work from the neo-classical landscape school. Valenciennes, author of Traité du Paysage (A treatise on landscape), and teacher of Camille Corot, was one of the great theoreticians of landscape painting, whose influence on 19th century art was considerable. Now consider the work entitled Louis XV chassant le cerf dans la forêt de Saint-Germain (Louis XV hunting deer in the forest of saint Germain), painted by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, painter of royal hunting scenes and director of the royal manufacture in Beauvais. Originating from the 17th century tradition of decorative landscape, it provides an interesting contrast to works by such artists as Valenciennes. Two very beautiful vedute by Francesco Guardi complete this aperçu of the different types of landscape painting of the 18th century. Historical Paintings The Viollet-Le-Duc building houses some great historical paintings on the first floor. Two large canvases are by Jean-François de Troy (Conquête de la Toison d'or (Conquest of the Golden Fleece)), which was commissioned in 1742 for the royal Gobelins workshops as patterns for tapestries. On the second and last floor, (with the exception of the decorative ensembles in the Capitole of Toulouse and the Pénitents blancs), paintings from the Royal Academy of Art and Science in Toulouse are on display, in particular, an exceptional series of reception pieces by Jean-Charles Tardieu, Jean-François Pierre Peyron (Cornélie, mère des Gracques (Cornelia mother of Gracchus)), Jean-Charles Nicaise Périn and Joseph Marie Vien (L'amour fuyant l'esclavage (Love fleeing slavery)). With their rigorous and harmonious composition, these paintings provide fine examples of how neo-classical taste developed in the second half of the 18th century.