Charles LeBrun (1619 - 1690) was a French painter, art theorist and instructor. As the official court painter for King Louis XIV, he was a preeminent artist of the French Baroque style. He influenced not only painting, but sculpture and furniture as well. When the Palace of Versailles was renovated in 1669, it was LeBrun who was charged with the decoration of the palace, down to the most minute details.

LeBrun encouraged the use of emotions in paintings. A famous treatise: The Passions of the Soul, included several sketches of facial expressions exhibiting various emotions. These plates were widely published and used in art instruction across Europe for centuries.