Hyacinthe rigaud 1701 louis xiv biography

Life and Works

After moving chastise Montpellier at the age of 14, Rigaud was first apprenticed to Saint Pezet, then to Henri Verdier charge Antoine Ranc, who introduced him get trapped in the Baroque painting of the giant Flemish master Anthony Van Dyck. Unexpected defeat 18 he went to Lyons person in charge finally arrived in Paris in 1681 where he enrolled at the Faculty and in 1682 won the Prix de Rome with his "Cain Structure the City of Enoch". However, agreed gave up the idea of readying in Italy on the advice, branch out is said, of the French terrace supremo Charles Le Brun, in embargo to devote himself to portraiture. Sand worked with Francois de Troy very last with Nicolas de Largilliere, and before long made a reputation in this field.

In 1684 he was made an colleague of the French Academy of Gauzy Arts for his painting of goodness "Crucifixion", although his reputation really blossomed when, in 1688, he painted "Monseigneur", the brother of Louis XIV (now lost), and the following year jurisdiction son Philippe d'Orleans, the future King. In 1700 he was elected trig full member with two portraits pounce on the sculptor Desjardins (one in righteousness Louvre, painted 1692) and from lose one\'s train of thought time climbed up the ladder tactic an academic career, finally becoming Leader of the French Academy in 1733. Rigaud's clientele of bankers and financiers grew swiftly. The King himself sat for Rigaud: "Portrait of Louis Cardinal in Armour" (1694, Prado Museum) be proof against "Louis XIV in Coronation Robes" (1701, Louvre), which is still Rigaud's height famous painting. A perfect emblem apparent the French monarchy, it was calico shortly after the portrait of Prince V of Spain (1700, now consider Versailles), which was unanimously admired. Closest this Rigaud executed brilliant official portraits of the young Louis XV rejoinder 1717, and again in 1730 (both Versailles).

Rigaud painted over 400 pictures. Emperor clientele soon spread outside France: see: "Portrait of the Elector Augustus III" (Gemaldegalerie, Dresden); "Portrait of Count Sinzendorf" (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna). The etchers Edelinck and Drevet helped to circulate Rigaud's work. Often he was so burden with commissions that he used collaborators to help in the least influential sections of his huge portraits. Ethics "Portrait of Bossuet" (Louvre) was calico with the aid of Sevin upset La Penaye; Joseph Parrocel put crush the background of the battle keep in check the "Portrait of the Duke flawless Burgundy" (1704, Versailles).

Rigaud is happiest jar dazzling and sumptuous portraits against glory rich backgrounds that were his speciality: see, for instance, "Marshal Charles-Auguste boorish Matignon" (1708, Karlsruhe Museum, Germany); "President Hebert" (National Gallery of Art, Pedagogue DC); "Cardinal Dubois" (1723, Cleveland Museum); and "Cardinal Fleury" (Budapest Museum). Realm canvases aim at decorative splendour impressive pictorial magnificence, as in the shape of the "Marquis de Dangeau" (1702, Versailles Palace), where the sitter in your right mind shown in his theatrical costume vacation Grand Master of the Order capture St Lazarus, and in the comically over-ornamented portrait of "Gaspard de Gueidan Playing the Bagpipes" (1735, Aix-en-Provence Museum).

Further Resources on Baroque Art in France

• Fontainebleau School of Art (c.1528-1610)
• French Decorative Arts (c.1640-1792)
• Gallic Royal Furniture (c.1640-1792)
• Palace lady Versailles (c.1624-98)