PRUD'HON, PIERRE French painter, born at Cluny on April 4, 1758, was the thirteenth child of a mason.
The monks of the abbey undertook his education, and by the aid of the bishop of Macon he was placed with Devosge, director of the art school at Dijon. In 1778 Prud'hon went to Paris armed with a letter to Wille, the celebrated engraver, and three years later he obtained the triennial prize of the States of Burgundy, which enabled him to go to Rome, where he became intimate with Canova. He studied the work of Correggio and the affinity of his style with that of the great Italian has given him the name of "Correge Francais." He returned to Paris in 1787. The illus trations which he executed for the Daphnis and Chloe published by Didot brought him into notice, and his reputation was extended by the success of his decorations in the Hotel de Landry (now Rothschild), his ceiling painting of "Truth and Wisdom" for Ver sailles (Louvre), and of "Diana and Jupiter" for the Gallery of Antiquities in the Louvre. In 18o8 he exhibited "Crime pursued
by Vengeance and Justice" (Louvre), which had been commis sioned for the assize courts, and "Psyche carried off by Zephyrs." These two compositions brought Prud'hon the Legion of Honour; and in 1816 he entered the Institute. Consoled for the misery of his marriage by the devoted care of his Mlle. Mayer, Prud'hon's situation seemed enviable; but Mlle. Mayer's tragical suicide in 1821 brought ruin to his home, and Prud'hon died two years later on Feb. 16, 1823.
See P. Gauthiez, Prud'hon (1891) ; E. Bricon, Prud'hon (i907) ; C. Clement (chief work) , Prud'hon; sa vie, ses oeuvres et sa cor respondance (188o).