Portrait of a Gentleman
European Art

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Portrait of a Gentleman
Artwork Details
Artist/Maker
Nicolas de Largillière
French, 1656–1746
French, 1656–1746
Date
1690–1695
Medium
Oil on canvas
Accession #
1990.58
Dimensions
Please contact the Museum for more information.
Location
Currently Not on View
Description
Throughout his long career, Nicolas de Largillière was renowned for his portraits. This portrait of an unknown sitter, probably a member of the newly wealthy Parisian middle class, was painted by the artist soon after he became a member of the Académie de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris. An important bridge between the staid and conservative French portrait tradition of the seventeenth century and the more colorful and animated style of the eighteenth century, Largillière brought to his likenesses elements culled from his training in Flanders and England. His fluid brushwork and a lush sense of color are hallmarks that are evident in this work.