François Lemoyne or François Le Moine (French: [fʁɑ̃swa ləmwan]; 1688 – 4 June 1737) was a French rococo painter. He was a winner of the Prix de Rome, professor of the Académie de peinture et de sculpture, and Premier peintre du Roi to Louis XV. He was tutor to Charles-Joseph Natoire and François Boucher.[1]

Throughout his career, Lemoyne sought to be seen as the heir to Charles Le Brun and the leading painter of his generation, titles also vied for by his rival Jean-François de Troy (1679–1752).[2] Lemoyne’s work and talent, notably plied in Versailles, earned him the esteem of his contemporaries and the name of the “new Le Brun“. He collaborated with or worked alongside other artists of the era, including Nonotte, Gilles Dutilleul, Charles de La Fosse, and Coypel. He took his own life in 1737, at the height of his career. With his death, the fashion of large allegorical ceilings disappeared.

Lemoyne’s early studies in Rome instilled in him knowledge of the works of the Old Masters, Raphael, Correggio, and Titian, though his strongest influence was undoubtedly Rubens (particularly in his use of color).[2] During his second trip in 1723, Lemoyne admired the ceiling of the Palazzo Barberini and found inspiration in the works of the Venetians, particularly Paolo Veronese.[2] Over the course of his career, Lemoyne’s style shifted more in favor of the Italian influence.[2]

Pierre Rosenberg describes Lemoyne’s style as “refined and introverted.”[5] Philip Conisbee refers to Lemoyne’s paintings as having a “sensuous beauty” similar to works by Correggio.[8]