French painter,
draughtsman and engraver. Although he was one of the most successful painters of
the mid-17th century in France and highly praised by the writer André Félibien,
he was also widely criticized for never achieving a fixed style of his own. He
began his career as an imitator of the Bamboccianti and of Giovanni Benedetto
Castiglione. He later produced altarpieces in a vigorous Baroque style and
portraits in the manner of Anthony van Dyck before coming under the classicizing
influence of Nicolas Poussin. Towards the end of his career, in a lecture to the
Académie Royale, he recommended that young artists reject uniformity of
inspiration. Remarkably, he was able to give a personal flavour to his work in
any style and genre.
Portrait of a Man
Oil on canvas, 105 x 65 cm
Musee Fabre, Montpellier
