[1] Throughout his career, Lemoyne sought to be seen as the heir to Charles Le Brun and the leading painter of his generation, titles also vied for by his rival Jean-François de Troy (1679–1752).

He collaborated with or worked alongside other artists of the era, including Donat Nonnotte, Gilles Dutilleul, Charles de La Fosse, and Coypel.

[4] He had seen similar paintings in Italy (such as Pietro da Cortona’s in the Palazzo Barberini), and sought to prove that the French could excel at à ciel ouvert as much as the Italians.

The reasons for this are not known, though excess of work, court intrigue at Versailles, the death of his wife, temperamental instability,[6] and frustration at his inability to attain artistic perfection[5] have been submitted.

"[2] Lemoyne's early studies in Rome instilled in him knowledge of the works of the Old Masters, Raphael, Correggio, and Titian, though his strongest influence was undoubtedly Rubens (particularly in his use of color).

[2] During his second trip in 1723, Lemoyne admired the ceiling of the Palazzo Barberini and found inspiration in the works of the Venetians, particularly Paolo Veronese.