when back in rome, he produced history - and genre paintings, of which in 1837, he sent 'solomon presented to wisdom by his parents' (salomon présenté à la sagesse par son père et sa mère) to the annual salon in geneva. menn returned via florence, siena and viterbo to paris in late 1838, where he exhibited at the salon from 1839 to 1843, and where he became the drawing master of maurice dudevant, the son of george sand. in her circle, he became acquainted with eugène delacroix (1798–1863) who wanted to employ him as an assistant while working on the decoration of the cupola of the library in the palais du luxembourg. at the same time, menn got to know the painters of the barbizon school; especially charles daubigny. most importantly, however, menn became friends with camille corot, who, from 1842 onwards, visited switzerland frequently. it was also in paris that he became acquainted with members of the bovy family of geneva who were followers of the utopian socialist ideas of charles fourier.