Gentleman In Armour, Hyacinthe Rigaud (perpignan 1659 - Paris 1743) School

Hyacinthe RIGAUD (Perpignan 1659 - Paris 1743) School of

Portrait of a gentleman in armour: Monsieur Jean Francois Raymond de Lasbordes, Regimental Officer of the Landes, as well as Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis

Place and date of execution: Huningue (Alsace, France) 20 August 1723

Oil on canvas 71 x 58 cm In a fine period frame 94 x 80 cm

The painting examined here, depicting a gentleman in armour and dating from around the early 18th century, can be attributed to a painter from the school of Hyacinthe RIGAUD (Perpignan 1659 - Paris 1743), one of the most significant portraitists of his time and a great exponent of the French school, who worked almost exclusively at the courts of Louis XIV and then Louis XV.

The portrait, in particular, which can be identified as the French gentleman and military officer Monsieur Jean Francois Raymond de Lasbordes, displays with ostentatious pride his military honour as a member and knight of the French Order of Saint Louis, as evidenced by the pin he wears on his chest.

The Order of Saint Louis (full name: Ordre Royal et Militaire de Saint-Louis) was a French military order founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis (Louis IX). It was reserved as a reward for deserving officers and is usually known for being the first decoration to be awarded to non-nobles.

It is considered the ancestor of the Legion of Honour, with its members performing the same functions. It is a work of remarkable formal and aesthetic elegance. Note the meticulous rendering of the facial features, the sharpness of the contours emphasised by the light and the expressive power of the eyes.

The face is characterised by chiaroscuro passages that realistically reproduce light and its effects, rendered with great skill. The image displays the typical characteristics of French celebratory portraiture, with a formula often used by Rigaud and his studio for portraits of members of the French aristocracy, presented in half-length profile, in this case slightly turned to the right, with the gaze fixed on the viewer.

Hyacinthe RIGAUD (Perpignan, 1659 – Paris, 1743) was a French painter of Catalan origin. In 1682, he won the Prix de Rome, a scholarship that allowed him to study at the French Academy in Rome, but on the advice of Charles Le Brun, he gave up the prize and concentrated on his work as a portrait painter.

At the court of Louis XIV, he found favour with ambassadors, clergymen, courtiers and businessmen, who posed for him. His portraits, sumptuous yet austere, are now also appreciated as a source for the history of costume and fashion, as, in addition to their physiognomic resemblance, they capture the details of clothing and furnishings. Rigaud's most famous work is the official portrait of King Louis XIV (signed and dated 1701), kept at the Louvre Museum (a copy, also made by the artist at the request of the king, can be found at the Palace of Versailles).

He became a member of the French Academy in 1700 and in 1701 was appointed painter to the king. In 1709, he joined the nobility of his hometown and in 1727 was appointed Knight of the Order of Saint Michael.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The work is sold complete with a pleasant antique gilded frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card.

We take care of and organise the transport of purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers.

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