Charles-François Pinceloup de la Grange (Verso)

Elegantly attired and wearing a powdered wig, Charles-François Pinceloup de la Grange slightly raises his head and gazes searchingly into the distance. A member of the Orléans nobility, Pinceloup de la Grange had recently received several prestigious government appointments. The painting and a pendant portrait of the sitter's wife may have been intended to celebrate his achievement.

The portrait was painted near the outset of Jean-Baptiste Perronneau's career. Primarily working in the medium of pastel, Perronneau was one of the most prominent and accomplished portraitists in eighteenth-century France. He was especially successful in securing patrons, like Pinceloup de la Grange, in the French provinces.