Augustin-Louis Belle

Upon returning to France, he exhibited the "Marriage of Ruth and Boaz" in 1791. He was appointed director of the Gobelins Manufactory in 1793. As one of his first acts, he gathered together tapestries that contained Royal coats-of-arms and other symbols of the Monarchy and burned them at the Liberty Tree [fr], in what he considered to be a show of support for the Revolution. He was also able to negotiate and come to terms with the workers at the Manufactory who had gone on strike to protest being paid in assignats.

When the position of Director was abolished, he resumed painting; specializing in subjects from antiquity. In 1806, he became Chief Inspector at the Manufactory, succeeding his father, who had held the position since 1755. He remained there for only ten years, however, resigning in 1816 during the early years of the Bourbon Restoration. After that time, he apparently retired from painting.

• Anatole de Montaiglon, Jules Guiffrey, Correspondance des directeurs de L’Académie de France à Rome avec les surintendants des bâtiments: publiée d’après les manuscrits des Archives nationales sous le patronage de la direction des Beaux-Arts, Jean Schemit, 1906

Media related to Augustin-Louis Belle at Wikimedia Commons