Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683)
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
36 1/4 x 28 1/2 in. (92.1 x 72.4 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of The Wildenstein Foundation Inc., 1951
Accession Number
51.34
Tags
Art Historical Context
Philippe de Champaigne's *Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683)*, painted in 1655, captures the rising French statesman in a poised, introspective portrait that exemplifies the artist's mastery of Flemish Baroque realism. Champaigne, a Flemish painter who settled in Paris, was renowned for his precise, dignified likenesses of the French elite, blending Northern European detail with classical French elegance. This oil on canvas, measuring 36¼ x 28½ inches, showcases his skill in rendering textures—from Colbert's lace collar to the subtle fall of light on his face—creating a sense of psychological d...
About the Artist
Philippe de Champaigne · 1602–1674
He was known as one of the greatest portrait painters of 17th-century France. His art was based in an analytical study of appearances and on psychological truth. He was also one of the principal instigators of the Classical tendency and a founder-member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. He developed an interest in Jansenist thinking, typified by a severe plainness of style. His ...