Jean-Frédéric Schall

Jean-Frédéric Schall, also Frédéric-Jean, Challe or Chall (14 March 1752 – 24 March 1825) was a French painter who specialized in genre scenes and portraits.

Biography He was born in Strasbourg. In 1772, after receiving his initial training at the "École publique de dessin de Strasbourg", he went to Paris. There, he was able to enroll at the École royale des élèves protégés under the sponsorship of Nicolas Guy Brenet, and entered the studios of Francesco Casanova; completing his studies in 1777. He had several patrons, including , Jean-Georges Wille and Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. In addition to Casanova, he studied with Nicolas-René Jollain (1775) and Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié (1776 and 1779).

In 1776, he produced his first major works, in the galant style of Fragonard and Debucourt. In 1778, they were produced as color engravings by . He rapidly became a favorite painter among the high society of his time. Many of his works are fêtes galantes featuring actors, dancers and powerful men with their mistresses, engaged in frivolous activities. The Revolution did not, however, change people's tastes, so he returned to his previous themes as soon as possible. This time, he used mythology as a pretext for painting naked women in bucolic scenes.

Schall had major showings at the Salons of 1793, 1798 and 1806. He died in Paris on 24 March 1825.

As one might suppose, many of his works were unsigned and, during the 19th century, were variously attributed to Fragonard, Antoine-François Callet and Jean-Baptiste Huet. Some of his early works were signed "Challe", possibly to take advantage of the popularity of Charles-Michel-Ange Challe. Eventually, these problems were sorted out and it is now believed that most of his works have been properly attributed.

Selected paintings