Joseph Ducreux was born in Nancy on June 26, 1735 and moved to Paris in 1760, where he met the painters Jean Baptiste Greuze (1725 - 1805) and Maurice Quentin de La Tour (1704 - 1788). Greuze in particular influenced Ducreux's further work. Following his two models, Ducreux turned to portrait painting and initially copied portraits of important personalities such as the architect Jacques-François Blondel (1705 - 1774), the art critic Pierre-Jean Mariette (1694 - 1774), the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778) and the painter Jean Siméon Chardin (1699 - 1779).
Nine years after moving to Paris, Ducreux was sent to Vienna to paint the official portrait of the then fourteen-year-old Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria (1755 -1793), later Queen Marie Antoinette, wife of King Louis XVI (1754 - 1793). He painted members of the Viennese court such as Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria (1717 - 1780), Archduke Joseph II of Austria (1741 - 1790), Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria (1746 - 1804), Archduchess Maria Christina Johanna Josepha Antonia of Austria (1742 - 1798) and Archduchess Maria Elisabeth Josepha of Austria (1743-1808).
When Ducreux returned home to France, he was appointed premier peintre ("first painter") by Marie Antoinette. Ducreux's works were henceforth on display at the Salon de la Correspondence. Ducreux spent the French Revolution in exile in London, where his works were exhibited without much success at the Royal Academy of Arts.
In 1793, Ducreux returned to Paris once again and moved into an apartment in the Louvre, which was made available to him free of charge. He was also encouraged by his friend Jacques-Louis David (1748 - 1825). It was at this time that Ducreux created what is probably his most famous painting: Portrait de l'artiste sous les traits d'un moqueur. The self-portrait shows Ducreux smiling mockingly, facing the viewer and pointing his finger over his left shoulder. Today, the portrait is part of Internet culture and a popular meme. However, Ducreux also painted paintings of revolutionaries Maximilien de Robespierre (1758 - 1794) and Louis-Antoine-Léon de Saint-Just de Richebourg (1767 - 1794).
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.jpg "Self-Portrait, Yawning by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self-Portrait of the Artist with a Mocking Face by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Portrait of Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, the Later Queen Marie Antoinette of France by Joseph Ducreux")
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 known as Ma - (MeisterDrucke-652718).jpg "Portrait of Marie Clotilde of France (1759-1802), Known as Madame Clotilde, Future Queen of Sardinia by Joseph Ducreux")
 known as Ma - (MeisterDrucke-652718).jpg)
 King of France at the Temple (chalk and charcoal on paper) - (MeisterDrucke-99004).jpg "Portrait of Louis XVI King of France, at the Temple by Joseph Ducreux")
 King of France at the Temple (chalk and charcoal on paper) - (MeisterDrucke-99004).jpg)
_Imperatrice_queen_of_Hungary_an_-_(MeisterDrucke-960794).jpg "Portrait of Marie Therese of Austria (1717-1780), Empress Queen of Hungary and Bohemia by Joseph Ducreux")
_Imperatrice_queen_of_Hungary_an_-_(MeisterDrucke-960794).jpg)
_King_of_France_Drawing_with_chalk_and_charcoal_-_(MeisterDrucke-1021364).jpg "Portrait of Louis XVI (1754-1793), King of France by Joseph Ducreux")
_King_of_France_Drawing_with_chalk_and_charcoal_-_(MeisterDrucke-1021364).jpg)
.jpg "Portrait of the Artist, Half Length, Wearing a Green Jacket and Holding a Cane by Joseph Ducreux")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-140154).jpg "Portrait of Delille by Joseph Ducreux")
 - (MeisterDrucke-140154).jpg)
_a_revolutionary_and_a_c_-_(MeisterDrucke-946203).jpg "Portrait of Claude Fauchet dit l")
_a_revolutionary_and_a_c_-_(MeisterDrucke-946203).jpg)
.jpg "Self-portrait of the artist in the guise of a mocker, c. 1793 by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Bernard-Germain-Etienne de la Ville-sur-Illon, Comte de Lacépède by Joseph Ducreux")
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_Painting_by_Joseph_D_-_(MeisterDrucke-1002729).jpg "Portrait of Louis Antoine, Count of Bougainville by Joseph Ducreux")
_Painting_by_Joseph_D_-_(MeisterDrucke-1002729).jpg)
_He_is_one_of_the_most_famous_Chouans_Pa_-_(MeisterDrucke-1002877).jpg "Portrait of Georges Cadoudal. He is one of the most famous Chouans. Painting by Joseph Ducreux. 18th century. Orleans, Museum of Fine Arts by Joseph Ducreux")
_He_is_one_of_the_most_famous_Chouans_Pa_-_(MeisterDrucke-1002877).jpg)
.jpg "Maria Theresa, Empress of Austria, in mourning by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Louis Antoine de Bougainville by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Maria Theresa in Mourning by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Portrait of Marie Therese of Austria by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self Portrait as a Yawning Man by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self Portrait as a Naval Officer by Joseph Ducreux")
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 - (MeisterDrucke-654024).jpg "Portrait of Count Charles Joseph de Pallu (1753–1823) by Joseph Ducreux")
 - (MeisterDrucke-654024).jpg)
 officer and French writer (pastel and wc on paper) - (MeisterDrucke-44455).jpg "Portrait of Pierre Choderlos De Laclos (1741-1803), officer and French writer by Joseph Ducreux")
 officer and French writer (pastel and wc on paper) - (MeisterDrucke-44455).jpg)
.jpg "Self-Portrait, Yawning by Joseph Ducreux")
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_undated_(canvas)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1479696).jpg "Self-portrait in Mocking (Autoportrait en Moquer) by Joseph Ducreux")
_undated_(canvas)_-_(MeisterDrucke-1479696).jpg)
 of Austria - (MeisterDrucke-39155).jpg "Empress Maria Theresa of Austria by Joseph Ducreux")
 of Austria - (MeisterDrucke-39155).jpg)
_-_(MeisterDrucke-1650642).jpg "Self-Portrait, Yawning (by 1783) by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self-Portrait, Yawning, ca. 1783 by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self-Portrait, Yawning. 1783 by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self-Portrait as a Surprised and Terrified Man by Joseph Ducreux")
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 (pastel on paper) - (MeisterDrucke-106595).jpg "Portrait of Georges Cadoudal (1771-1804) by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "The Jealous Husband by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Portrait of a Lady by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Portrait of Louis XVI at the Temple Prison by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Head of a Gentleman by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self-Portrait, Yawning by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Self-Portrait, Yawning by Joseph Ducreux")
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.jpg "Portrait of a Lady by Joseph Ducreux")
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