Vivant Denon

About

French artist, writer, diplomat, author, and archaeologist best known for his work Voyage dans la basse et la haute Egypte, which became the foundation for Egyptology. He was the director of the Louvre Museum in Paris, a position given to him by Napoleon Bonaparte following his Egyptian campaign. 

Before Fame

He studied law in Paris before turning to the fields of art and literature. He wrote a comedy titled Le Bon Pére when he was 23.

Trivia

In the Louvre, the Denon Wing of the modern museum and the Dominique-Vivant Denon Research Center are in honor of him.

Family Life

He was born in the Burgundy region of France to a wealthy noble family. He was baptized with the name Dominique, but preferred to go by his middle name Vivant.

Associated With

He was active in France during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI.