Salon of 1759

The Salon of 1759 held at the Louvre in Paris. Organised by the Académie Royale, it took place between 25 August and 25 September 1759. Taking place during the Seven Years' War, it coincided with the Annus Mirabilis of 1759 which saw France suffer a series of defeats to Britain around the globe.
Claude-Joseph Vernet continued to exhibit his series of paintings Views of the Ports of France which had been commissioned by Louis XV. This time he submitted two landscapes of Bordeaux. In addition he displayed View of Avignon from the Right Bank of the Rhone, a depiction of his home city Avignon, which had been commissioned by Pierre-Gabriel Peilhon. The celebrated stage actress Mademoiselle Clairon was depicted by Charles-André van Loo in the role of Medea in Pierre Corneille's Médée. While a great success with the public, it received a more mixed critical reception.
Jean-Marc Nattier displayed a Portrait of a Lady as a Vestal Virgin, a work which was praised by the art critic Denis Diderot who noted the ironic nature featuring an obviously a woman of the world. Meanwhile Guillaume Voiriot displayed a portrait of Nattier, his diploma work on acceptance to the academy. Jean-Baptiste-Henri Deshays enjoyed great success with his religious painting The Martyrdom of Saint Andrew.