Henri Grevedon

Henri Grevedon (1776–1860) French painter, lithographer, engraver, and draughtsman Henri Grévedon, born in Paris in 1776, was a remarkably gifted artist whose career spanned portraiture, printmaking, and historical collecting. The son of Pierre Ambroise Henri Grevedon, an officer in the royal guard, he was raised in the artistic milieu of the Louvre, where his early talent for drawing earned him admission to the Academie at just eight years old. He studied under the prominent painter Jean-Baptiste Regnault and began exhibiting at the Paris Salon by 1798. Although trained in oil painting and miniatures, Grevedon became most celebrated for his finely executed lithographic portraits, which captured many leading figures of his day. His distinguished sitters included Empress Catherine II, Emperor Alexander I, and renowned cultural icons such as Mademoiselle Mars and Henrietta Sontag. His mastery in lithography was recognized with a gold medal at the 1824 Paris Salon. Grevedon’s artistic journey took him across Europe. He worked extensively in Russia and Sweden, earning memberships in both the Imperial Academy of Saint Petersburg and the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. He also spent time in London, where he studied the works of Sir Thomas Lawrence and specialized in miniature portraiture. Beyond his artistic pursuits, Grevedon was an avid historian and collector. Among his acquisitions was a painting believed to be by Johannes Vermeer, underscoring his deep engagement with the Old Masters. He continued to exhibit his work until the final years of his life and was made a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 1832. Henri Grevedon died in Paris in 1860, leaving behind a rich artistic legacy preserved in major institutions including the British Museum, Rijksmuseum, Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard Art Museums, Brooklyn Museum, and the Science Museum.