Which French Rococo painter was known as 'First Painter to the King' after 1765?

The French Rococo painter known as “First Painter to the King” after 1765 was François Boucher.

Boucher was born in Paris in 1703 and became one of the defining painters and decorative artists of eighteenth-century French Rococo. His subjects included mythological scenes, pastoral fantasies, allegories, portraits, tapestry designs, theater sets, and ornamental works. His polished, sensuous style was closely associated with the court of Louis XV and with his influential patron Madame de Pompadour.

Boucher studied in France and later traveled to Italy after winning the Grand Prix de Rome. He joined the Académie royale in 1731 and rose through several official positions, including professor, rector, and inspector at the Gobelins tapestry manufactory. In 1765, he received the title Premier Peintre du Roi, literally “First Painter of the King.”

The title should not be confused with a claim that Boucher was the only important French Rococo painter. Fragonard and Greuze were major contemporaries, but neither held this specific royal office in 1765. Boucher died in Paris in 1770.