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| Title | Nobleman, Time of Louis XIV | |
| Collection | Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle | |
| Artist | Attributed to Largillière, Nicolas de (French painter and draftsman, 1656-1746) | |
| Date Earliest | about 1670 | |
| Date Latest | about 1715 | |
| Description | This is attributed to Largillière, who was born in Paris but spent his youth in Antwerp and from around 1674 spent some years in England as Lely's assistant. He returned to Paris in 1682 and specialized in portraits of the wealthy middle class. He also painted a few pictures of still-life. Here, the sitter is unknown, and the architectural background appears to be too generalised to pin-point to a particular place. | |
| Current Accession Number | B.M.252 | |
| Former Accession Number | No. 321 | |
| Subject | portrait (unidentified) | |
| Measurements | 140 x 104 cm (estimate) | |
| Material | oil on canvas | |
| Acquisition Details | Bequeathed by the founders John and Joséphine Bowes 1885. | |
| Notes | This painting was listed as no. 321 in John Bowes' catalogue, as Portrait of a Nobleman, time of Louis XIV, represented at the entrance of a Park, hat under his arm, and cane in his hand, A dog playing before him, Nicholas Largillière, born 1656, died in 1746. The attribution is doubtful, as Comte de Lastic, curator of the Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature in Paris, suggests in a letter dated 17 April 1970 that this picture 'n'est évidemment pas de Largillière, ni de son atelier.' He adds that the painting is 'assez médiocre' and that 'Le fond d'architecture et d'autres détails me font penser qu'il ne doit pas s'agir d'un peintre français.' Jean Cailleux attributes the painting to François de Troy (Toulouse 1645 - Paris 1730), who made portraits which are often quite similar to those of Largillière. His style is close to, but not as good as that of Largillière. The sitter has not been identified and the palace in the background appears too generalised to be pin-pointed to a particular place. The same kind of architecture however appears in a Largillière portrait, but on the left hand-side: 'Portrait d'homme 2', kept at the Musée des Beaux-Arts Thomas Henry in Cherbourg, inv. no. MTH 835.125. This picture was found at the Witt Library and is also on the Musée Thomas Henry's website. | |
| Rights Owner | The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham | |
| Author | Dr Maylis Hopewell-Curie | |