Charles Le Brun: 6 works

'Thanks to this painting, Charles Le Brun won the admiration of Louis XIV who confirmed him in his post as Official Painter of the King.'

'This work was painted early during Le Brun's stay in Rome, 1642-45, while he was under Poussin's influence.'

'He used gesture, facial expressions, and strong colors to create a dynamic composition in the theatrical Roman setting. This painting is directly related to a large altarpiece by Le Brun commissioned in 1646 by the Goldsmith's Guild for the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.'

'He worked the body mainly in black and white chalk, applying pastel more freely in the hand holding the book and in the loose folds of drapery spilling over the left arm.'

'The King's face is reflected in Minerva's shield: Le Brun has thus cleverly associated the symbol of Prudence (the mirror) with the tutelary goddess of this virtue, Minerva, who more generally represents royal wisdom.'

'Charles Le Brun imagined it first when the initial project depicting Hercules was refused. Le Brun obeyed the King and abandoned the metaphor: he depicts Louis XIV in person but without renouncing the richness of the composition, combining allegories and gods.'