He was exempt from conscription, but served in the ; a civil organization. While on a leave, arranged by a friend who was a doctor, his entire unit was killed. He chose not to return to service and was forced to flee. During the Siege of Lyon, he helped his mother hide their personal belongings, then went into hiding. He was found and denounced, but fled again, finding refuge in a friend's aviary. He would later say that he created some of his best paintings there, and he was able to send some of them to the Salon in 1796. It eventually became safe to return to Lyon and he lived in an apartment provided by Jean-Jacques de Boissieu. His contributions to the Salon of 1800 were praised by Jacques-Louis David.