French painter, active in England. An amateur virtuoso of still-life watercolour painting, Leroy de Barde appears to have been entirely self-taught. In 1792 he emigrated to England with his monarchist family to avoid the Revolution. The first mention of him as an artist is as an 'honorary' exhibitor at the Royal Academy exhibition of 1797 when he showed two watercolours, Fruit and Grapes (untraced). He styled himself 'Le Chevalier de Barde' and signed his works thus. He also exhibited in Royal Academy exhibitions in 1800, 1801 and 1802 with various flower paintings and a composition of Moths and Butterflies. The paintings exhibited in 1800 are still in the Royal Academy: Double Narcissus and Lilies of the Valley, Lilac Branch and Green Oak. //