The Life and Art of Lucien-Étienne Mélingue Born in Passy, France, Lucien-Étienne Mélingue was a French history painter belonging to the academic movement. He was the son of Étienne Mélingue, an actor and sculptor, and Théodorine Thiesset, an actress at the Comédie-Française. His brother, Gaston Mélingue, was also an artist. Mélingue studied under Léon Cogniet, Eugène Giraud, and Jean-Léon Gérôme, making his first exhibition at the Salon in 1861. Throughout his career, Mélingue received significant recognition, including a first medal at the Salon in 1877 and being named a Chevalier of the Lé…