François Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659-1743)

Portrait of Joseph Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau d’Armenonville (1661-1728)
Conseiller d’Etat
Oil on canvas
147cmx115cm.
Title and label at the back **engraving based identification ARTIST BIOGRAPHY::One of the best portrait artists associated with the era of Louis XIV, the French painter Hyacinthe Rigau y Ros Rigaud made an outstanding contribution to French painting from 1688 onwards, and was particularly noted for his portrait art depicting members of the French royal family - see, for instance, his famous state portrait of ``Louis XIV in Coronation Robes`` (1701, Louvre, Paris), one of the best Baroque paintings of the French court. Rigaud's broad and vigorous style and the way he dwelt on his models' nobility of posture, pageantry and splendour, were the foundation of his success. He is, in fact, the creator of an original genre, that of the 'portrait of pomp' which was to be spread throughout the European courts of the first half of the 18th century. Examples of his huge output can be seen in some of the best art museums in Europe and North America. For details of other celebrated artists and master craftsmen active in France during his day, see: French Baroque Artists (c.1600-1700) and French Decorative Designers (c.1640-1792). PORTRAIT BIOGRAPHY: Fleuriau d'Armenonville was born in Paris and obtained a place in government service in 1683 through his brother-in-law, Claude Le Peletier de Morfontaine, then Controller-General of Finances. He served in the financial administration until 1689 when he purchased a post as councillor serving with the Parlement at Metz. He returned to the finance in 1701 when he was named as director-general of finances, holding the sinecures of ``bailli and captain`` of Chartres. In 1705 he was appointed to the senior grade of Conseiller d'État. Engraving Literature: DESCRIPTION:
drawn in c. 1708
black and white chalk and black ink, grey wash, heightened with white on blue paper
378 cm x 293 mm PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Switzerland LITERATURE: Stephane Perrau, Hyacinthe-rigaud-over-blog.com, article, 20 september 2014; Quand Fleuriau d Armenonville retrouve Hyacinthe Rigaud
Ariane James-Sarazin, Catalogue raisonne des oeuvre de Rigaud, to be included in this forthcoming publication NOTE:
Acquired by the Bowdoin College Museum of Art