Portrait of Anne Louis Goislard de Montsabert, Comte de Richbourg-le-Toureil

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Portrait of Anne Louis Goislard de Montsabert, Comte de Richbourg-le-Toureil as painting (France · 1734).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

By positioning the figure close to the picture plane and engulfed in a swirl of drapery, Nicolas de Largillière created a remarkably informal likeness of the 26-year-old Goislard. This impression is enhanced by the sitter’s open shirt and the drift of wig powder that dusts the shoulders of his velvet doublet.

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A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Nicolas de Largillière (French, 1656–1746).

The museum's collection notes: By positioning the figure close to the picture plane and engulfed in a swirl of drapery, Nicolas de Largillière created a remarkably informal likeness of the 26-year-old Goislard. This impression is enhanced by the sitter’s open shirt and the drift of wig powder that dusts the shoulders of his velvet doublet. Warm hues and thick brushstrokes reveal the artist’s study of earlier Flemish painters, notably Anthony van Dyck. Despite his youth and seeming nonchalance, Goislard was a figure of prominence. He may have commissioned this work to commemorate his appointment to the Parlement, or governing council, of France in 1732, or earning the title

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtPortrait of Anne Louis Goislard de Montsabert, Comte de Richbourg-le-Toureil

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