The acquisition of a work by Etienne Moulinneuf: a first for French public collections

Etienne Moulinneuf (Marseille 1715/1720-Marseille 1789) was a French painter, teacher and permanent secretary of the Academic de Sculpture et de Peinture of his native city. The Autoportrait en trompe l'oeil avec coquillages et objets scientifiques, acquired by Sainte-Menehould Musee d'Art et d'Histoire was his Academy reception piece and also his response to a controversy. The artist had originally submitted a similar composition, but with a print by Francois Boucher by way of trompe-l'oeil; he was then accused of having palmed off an existing work and having duped the jury. In response, he painted his own portrait in imitation of the print, using a technique very similar to that used by miniaturists. His denigrators, however, did not withdraw their accusations. It was not until 2010 that a study published by C2RMF (the Centre for Research and Restorations of the Museums of France) proved that the painter had so excelled in this technique that he had managed to fool his peers.