Simon François, called Simon François de Tours or Le petit François, a French painter, was born at Tours in 1606. Without the help of a master, he had made some progress in the art, when he went to Italy, where he studied some years. At Bologna he became acquainted with Guido Reni, who made him a present of his portrait, painted by himself. On his return to France he settled in Paris, where he painted the portrait of Louis XIV as Dauphin, and many other distinguished personages, so much to the… Read more...