The Prix de Rome was a scholarship (money prize) for art students in Paris. It was created in 1663 in France when Louis XIV was reigning. Every year the prize was given to promising young painters, sculptors, and architects. They had to finish a very difficult piece of work to show that they deserved to win the prize. The person who won the prize would get money so that he could go to Rome for a year to study. Sometimes they were allowed to stay longer if they were doing exceptionally good work.