OUTIN, Pierre

French painter. Like many aspiring artists, Outin travelled to Paris where he trained under the landscape and figurative painter Charles Joseph Lecointe (1824-1886) from whom he gained a strong understanding for landscape painting as well as elements of the Orient. He was also a pupil of the classical and historical painter Alexandre Cabanel whose academic style, historical subjects and fine drawing was to provide the strong grounding for Outin’s highly successful career; this was confirmed when he made his debut at the Paris Salon in 1868.

He is best known for his portrayals of dramatic historical genre, fêtes galantes, Orientalist works as well as portraits. He often portrayed his figures in historical dress, generally from the eighteenth but sometimes from the seventeenth century. His fêtes galantes evoke the style of the eighteenth century master Antoine Watteau.