Portrait of Giuseppe Valadier

Despite being one of the most famous pieces in the collection, Jean-Baptiste Wicar’s portrait of Valadier was not painted for the Academy but was a personal gift from the artist to his subject. The viewer’s eye is drawn to the lower section of the painting where Valadier’s professional skills are represented by the compass held, very firmly, in his right hand, and by the drawing on the sheet of paper which seems to be slipping casually off the table and which represents one of the architect’s most celebrated projects. The painting was acquired by the Academy in 1866.
[F. Carinci]