The flourishing of the Académie under Le Brun
Le Brun was director of the Académie (only as from 1683 but he played an essential role its foundation) and he was Premier Peintre du Roi (from 1662). He made the academic institution the spearhead of reform in French art. Thanks to conferences and inspiration from the masterpieces of the royal collection, he erected himself as an arbitrator of good taste and propriety. In addition to antiques, he dictated Raphael and Poussin to be the absolute references. Painting had to be understandable, expressive and credible but, above all, it had to abide by the rule of the three unities (place, time, action) and contain a moral lesson. Le Brun was a foreman during the work he carried out at Versailles and therefore needed still life and landscape specialists too badly to ignore them. The truth remained, however, that historical painting dominated entirely. Portraiture was still present, represented by artists such as Antoine Benoist with his Portrait du sculpteur Jacques Buirette. The generation of Le Brun's pupils challenged established order with the gradual victory of the Rubenists or colourists over the Poussinists or partisans of draughtsmanship.
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