1741 (ca.), Maurice Quentin de La Tour, Portrait of Gabriel Bernard de Rieux [pastel] -- Getty Museum (Los Angeles)

From the museum label:

 

Seated among an array of opulent objects, de Rieux looks toward the viewer while holding a large, open book. Each item depicted in this portrait was deliberately selected to indicate the sitter's wealth, power, and intellectual pursuits, while also showcasing La Tour's skill.

 

Maurice Quentin de La Tour's commanding Portrait of Gabriel Bernard de Rieux is the largest pastel made in eighteenth-century France. Commissioned by de Rieux himself, the portrait marks a turning point in the lives of both sitter and artist. De Rieux had recently inherited a great sum of money from his father, a financier, which he used to improve his position among France's elite. He intended this image of himself and the contents of his sumptuous study to convey erudition, taste, and wealth.

 

The artist had similarly lofty ambitions. Pushing pastel to new heights, La Tour employed sixteen sheets of paper and exacting techniques to capture de Rieux's likeness and convincingly render luxurious objects on a monumental scale. His work in pastel outshone oil painting, which was considered more prestigious at the time.

 

This focused exhibition highlights La Tour's technical achievement and the historical global realities that financed and furnished de Rieux's world.

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