John Baptist, a distinguished painter, of a Flemish family. He was born in 1684 at Aix in Provence, where his father Louis, also a painter, had settled the year before; and from an early age was taught painting by his father. He soon gained a reputation for portraits and historical paintings, and was taken into the service of the Prince of Carignano. After studying under Benedetto Luti at Rome, he settled in 1719 at Paris, where he amassed a large fortune, but lost much of it in the Mississippi scheme. In 1738, he came to London, where success continued to attend him; but, after a residence of four years there, the state of his health compelled him to seek a more genial climate, and he retired to his native town, where he died in 1746, leaving about 90,000 francs to his children. His brother, Charles Andrew, was also a distinguished painter. Born 1705; died 1765.