An influential French Neoclassical painter, considered to be the pre-eminent painter of the era. In the 1780s his cerebral brand of history painting marked a change in taste away from Rococo frivolity toward a classical austerity and severity. He later became an active supporter of the French Revolution and friend of Robespierre, and was effectively a dictator of the arts under the French Republic. Imprisoned after Robespierre's fall from power, he aligned himself with Napoleon and developed his Empire style, notable for its use of warm Venetian colours. After Napoleon's fall from power and the Bourbon revival, he exiled himself to Brussels, then to the Netherlands, where he remained until his death. He had a large number of pupils, making him the strongest influence in French art of the early 19th century.