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

Portrait of Anne Louis Goislard de Montsabert, Comte de Richbourg-le-Toureil by Nicolas de Largillière: By positioning the figure close to the picture plane and…

What to notice

In Portrait of Anne Louis Goislard de Montsabert, Comte de Richbourg-le-Toureil by Nicolas de Largillière, start with classical, portrait, figurative. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: This impression is enhanced by the sitter’s open shirt and the drift of wig powder that dusts the shoulders of his velvet doublet.

Discover

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.