(b Paris, 12 Jan. 1763; d Paris, 7/8 June 1843). French landscape painter. He achieved little recognition in his lifetime, but he is now regarded as an important forerunner of the Barbizon School. His paintings were influenced by 17th-century Dutch artists (he worked as a copyist and restorer of their work), but they have a modest directness reflecting the many studies he made in the open air (see plein air). He lived in Paris all his life and most of his work depicts scenes within a few miles of the city.