PIERRE MIGNARD

Troyes 1612 — 1695 Paris

Portrait of Louis Agustus, the Duc de Maine

black & white chalks, some pen & brown ink. 10 x 77/8" (255 x 200 mm). inscribed on the verso in pencil in a modern hand: 75 Mignard

provenance:
Cremer Collection.

Mignard was greatly appreciated for his portraiture. He executed the likenesses of many important personages both before and after he was named First Painter of the King, in 1672. His portraits provide an incomparable visual chronicle of the great figures of his day. The present arrogant sitter for this nonetheless beautiful drawing was an illegitimate son of Louis XIV.

Most of Mignard's surviving drawings are preserved at the Louvre, as they became the property of the King at the artist's death and then the property of the State of France. Many of these can now be seen on the Louvre's web-site. A number of these are comparable technically.