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FRANCOIS DE TROY (1645-1730) Portrait of the Marquis de Barb…
See original version (French)
170
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FRANCOIS DE TROY (1645-1730) Portrait of the Marquis de Barb…
See original version (French)
Estimate €7,000 - €9,000
Voluntary lot
Description
FRANCOIS DE TROY (1645-1730)
Portrait of the Marquis de Barbezieux, son of Louvois (1668-1701)
Oil on canvas
H_106 cm W_76 cm
Old varnish, restorations
Our painting depicts Louis-François-Marie Le Tellier de Barbezieux, Marquis de Barbezieux. He was the son of François-Michel Le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, one of Louis XIV's most important ministers. He died aged just thirty-two and took over as Secretary of State for War when his father died.
Louvois had served the King for almost twenty years in a number of key government posts. As Minister of War, he was also one of Colbert's main opponents, taking over his position as Superintendent of the King's Buildings on the latter's death. His work as Secretary of State for War from 1677 to 1691 left a lasting impression. He radically reformed the French army, both in terms of its administrative structure and the way it conducted warfare in the field. His legacy to Louis XIV was a professional, disciplined and well-trained army, considered to be one of the most effective in Europe.
These reforms enabled France to make a lasting impact on the international stage, particularly during the conflicts that ravaged the Palatinate, to the great displeasure of Madame, the King's sister-in-law.
His son, Louis-François-Marie Le Tellier, initially took over his office with success. However, his youth and pronounced taste for entertainment gradually distanced him from his responsibilities, provoking the sovereign's disappointment. As such, he was never elevated to the dignity of Minister of State, unlike his father. His premature death did not give him time to regain the king's full confidence.
He remarried in 1696 to the daughter of the Maréchal d'Alègre and had two daughters. Through one of them, the Marquis was the grandfather of the Duc de Richelieu and the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth.
Painted in a half-length, the portrait shows the Marquis wearing his armour and the cordon of the Order of the Holy Spirit, the supreme distinction of the French nobility. His posture evokes military command, as does the drapery tied around his waist, which reinforces the idea of authority. The quality and expressiveness of the particularly meticulous hands are reminiscent of Van Dyck's portraits, painted almost sixty years earlier, but which established the codes of the genre.
François de Troy came from a family of artists in Toulouse. Arriving in Paris at a very young age, he trained as a portrait painter with Claude Lefèbvre, a recognised master of the genre. His skills enabled him to specialise rapidly in court portraits, which did not prevent him from being admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1694 as a history painter. He painted many portraits of the great figures of the court. Among his pupils, his son Jean-François de Troy and Alexis-Simon Belle ensured the development and stylistic continuity of his studio.
Our painting has old annotations towards the middle right indicating the figure. We note on the back an annotation "Largillière f 1695". The coat of arms of the Le Tellier family can be seen at the top right under UV light.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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