Portrait of the Chevalier de Lézay
Medium
Red and black chalk on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Primary support: 19.1 × 14.8 cm (7 9/16 × 5 7/8 in.); Secondary support: 22.2 × 17.6 cm (8 3/4 × 6 15/16 in.)
Classification
drawings (visual works)
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
213968
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Son of a shoemaker, Carmontelle tutored children of the nobility and served as a topographical artist during the Seven Years’ War (1756–63). This portrait of a fellow soldier in his regiment, the Dragons de Beaufremont, was made early in his artistic career (few of his works from this period have survived). Carmontelle later joined the household of Louis-Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, and produced over 750 portraits of the people he encountered there.
About the Artist
Louis de Carmontelle · 1717–1806
**Louis Carrogis Carmontelle** (15 August 1717 – 26 December 1806) was a multifaceted French artist, dramatist, architect, and inventor whose career bridged the worlds of courtly entertainment and innovative visual arts during the Rococo era. Born in Paris to a modest family—his father worked as a bootmaker—he rose through talent and wit from humble origins to serve prominent noble households. He ...