Follower of Hyacinthe Rigaud

Collection Marquis of Biencourt, Paris;

Collection Edward Brandus, New York, in 1904;

With Seligmann Rey & Co., New York;

Where acquired by Samuel Untermyer, New York;

His sale, Parke Bernet, New York, 15-17 May 1940, lot 531 (as Hyacinthe Rigaud);

Where acquired by Arnold Seligmann Rey & Co., New York;

His sale, Parke Bernet, New York, 23-25 January 1947, lot 282 (as Hyacinthe Rigaud, sold $400);

Where acquired by French & Co., New York, inv. no. 45289;

Given by exchange from the Preston Pope Satterwhite Collection to the Speed Museum of Art, Louisville, 1958;

Anonyme sale, Christie's, New York, 26 January 2012, lot 206.

P. S. Harris, The J. B. Speed Art Museum, Fourteen Seasons of Art Accessions in Kentucky 1947 to 1960, Louisville 1960, [n.p.], no. 102 (as after Hyacinthe Rigaud).

Clad in his armour, Louis XIV looks proudly towards the viewer, wearing the blue sash of the Order of the Holy Spirit and holding the baton of command in his right hand. The composition largely follows that of the full-length portrait of Louis XIV at the age of 63, now in the Prado Museum (oil on canvas, 238 x 149 cm, inv. 2343). Depicted here in bust-length, the King is no longer shown against a battlefield, but in a richly appointed interior adorned with a heavy red drapery.

The sovereign’s portrait enjoyed considerable success, resulting in the production of numerous engravings and replicas, sometimes with variations.

Our composition is distinguished in particular by its prestigious provenance, which can be traced back to the Marquis du Biencourt, as well as by its spectacular carved and gilded wooden frame, decorated with fleurs-de-lis and sculpted with the arms of the French Crown.