xviii The L I F E of M. D.U F R E S N O Y. 



fhewed that he had not fludied thole of Titian without 

 fuccefs. Here the two friends feparated, Mignard returning 

 to Rome, and Du Frefnoy to France. He had read his 

 Poem to the beft Painters in all places through which he 

 palled, and particularly to Albano and Guercino, then at Bo- 

 logna ; and he confulted feveral men famous for their /kill 

 in polite literature. 



He arrived at Paris in 1656, where he lodged with Monf; 

 Potel, Greffier of the council, in the ftreet Beautreillis, where 

 he painted a fmall room -, afterwards a picture for the altar of 

 the Church of St. Margaret in the fuburb St. Antoine. 

 Monf. Bordier, Intendant of the finances, who was then 

 finishing his houfe of Rinci, now Livry, having feen this 

 picture, was fo highly pleafed with it, that he took Du Fref- 

 noy to that houfe,. which is but two leagues from Paris, to 

 paint the Salon. In the ceiling was reprefented the burning 

 of Troy; Venus is {landing by Paris, who makes her remark 

 how the fire confumes that great city; in the front is the 

 God of the river^ which runs by it^ and other deities : This 

 is one of his beft performances, both for dilpofition and 

 colouring. He afterwards painted a coniiderable number of 

 pictures for the cabinets of the curious, particularly an altar- 

 piece for the Church of Lagni, reprefenting the affumption 

 of the virgin and the twelve apoftles, all as large as life. At 

 the Hotel d'Erval (now d'Armenonville) he painted feveral 

 pictures, and among them a ceiling of a room with four 

 beautiful landfkips, the figures of which were by Mignard. 

 As he underftood Architecture very well, he drew for Monf. 

 de Vilargele all the deiigns of a houfe, which that Gentleman 

 built four leagues from Avignon ; as likewise thofe for the Hotel 

 de Lyonne, and for that of the Grand Prior de bouvre. The 



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