Belle won the Prix de Rome in 1700. What did this prize entail?

A commission to paint the King of France

(1674 - 1734)

Born: Paris, France (1674)
Died: 1734
Alexis Simon Belle was born in Paris, the second child and only son of Jean-Baptiste Belle, also a painter.
His birth and baptism are recorded in the parish register of the church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris.
He initially studied under his father before continuing his training in the studio of François de Troy (1645/46-1730).
Troy was a painter at the court of King James II in exile at Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Belle began producing work at Saint-Germain between 1698 and 1701.

Belle's style was influenced by his master, François de Troy, as well as Hyacinthe Rigaud and Nicolas de Largillière.
He gained prominence through portraits of the French and Jacobite nobility.
During a period of peace between France and Great Britain, Belle produced portraits of James Edward Stuart (the "Old Pretender") and his sister, Princess Louisa Maria.
In 1700, he won the Prix de Rome but chose to remain in France and continue with Jacobite commissions.
He married Anne Chéron (c. 1663–1718) in 1701, being described as "peintre ordinaire du Roy d'Angleterre" at the time.

Belle became the principal painter to the Jacobite court and settled with his wife.
He continued producing portraits of James Edward Stuart, which were often smuggled across the English Channel.
His portrait of James Edward Stuart in armour, standing beside the English Channel, was particularly popular and widely copied.
A notable work from 1712 depicts Stuart in a military outfit within a tent, becoming the standard image of the Old Pretender.
After the Pretender moved to Bar-le-Duc, Belle joined his court in 1714.

Belle's work expanded beyond Jacobite commissions during the 1720s, increasingly focusing on portraits of the French nobility.
He painted King Louis XV and Mariana Victoria of Spain, among others.
His works were frequently engraved, indicating his rising status in France.
Belle made copies of portraits by David of James Edward Stuart's sons, Prince Charles Edward Stuart and Prince Henry Benedict Stuart, in 1731.
He remarried to Marie-Nicolle Horthemels (born 1689, died after 1745) in 1722, who was also a painter and engraver.

Alexis Simon Belle is remembered for his significant contributions to French portraiture of the early 18th century.
His portraits provide valuable insights into the lives and appearances of both the French aristocracy and exiled Jacobite figures.
Belle's ability to capture likenesses and convey a sense of status made him a sought-after artist for prominent patrons.
He served as a master to Jacques-André-Joseph-Camelot Aved (1702–1766), contributing to the continuation of artistic traditions.