The Death of Leonardo da Vinci in the Arms of Francis I
1781
Oil on canvas, 278 x 357 cm
Musée de l'Hôtel de Ville, Amboise
In 1781 the most successful painting at the Salon was Ménageot's The Death of Leonardo da Vinci in the Arms of Francis I. Ménageot was a former colleague of Jacques-Louis David in Vien's studio. The painting owed its success more top the subject matter than to any startling stylistic development.
