The nobleman in this portrait is shown with the grandiloquence characteristic of Largillierre''s portraits. Painted circa 1720 the subject is elegantly portrayed in an outdoor setting under a moody sky and wears an elaborate breastplate over a rich burgundy jacket with large embroidered cuffs. His long powered wig, immensely costly at the time, has been tied at the back with a black taffeta ribbon. The fine characterisation of the head, a hallmark of Largilliere, seems almost eclipsed by the bravura handling of the draperies and the technical virtuosity with the mastery of color combinations. The image illustrates the artist''s virtuosic handling of material and his consummate skill - a talent that demonstrates why Largillierre (and his friendly rival Hyacinthe Rigaud) was one of Europe''s premier painters of portraits, history paintings, and still lifes during the late 17th century and the first four decades of the 18th century.The sitter is a descendant of Gerard Dubois who was a...