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and portrait-like genre subjects. Considerably influenced by Italian masters of the Bolognese school as well as his French contemporaries, Santerre nonetheless made an original contribution in his art, being among the first French painters to bring Netherlandish influences. Born in Magny-en-Vexin near Pontoise, Santerre studied notably under the history painter Bon Boullogne, and trained by copying works by Old Masters. After achieving initial success as a portrait painter by the late 1690s, Santerre began to branch out into the fields of genre painting and, in which he combined the fantasy portrait of Northern tradition, as seen in the art of Rembrandt and Gerrit Dou, with the allegorical portrait, then fashionable in France. At the same time, he also painted history paintings and altarpieces of biblical and religious subjects, suffused with a strong erotic character; notable case of these is Susanna at the Bath of 1704, regarded among Santerre's best known works. Santerre's successes gained the attention from the French royalty, notably including King Louis XIV and Philippe II, Duke of Orléans; from 1715 and until his death, Santerre served as a court painter for the Duke of Orleans." - (en.wikipedia.org 07.10.2022)