Alexis Simon Belle Attributed To "portrait Of A High-ranking Officer Of The Order Of The Holy Spirit".

Attributed to Alexis Simon Belle. Oil on canvas, "Portrait of a Grand Officer of the Order of the Holy Spirit," unsigned. 139.5 x 106.5 cm. Alexis Simon Belle (1674-1734). After studying under his father, Jean-Baptiste Belle, and then François de Troy (1645-1730), the young painter won the Prix de Rome in 1700. Belle, born in Paris, excelled throughout his career in a talented production of court portraits that still delight visitors to the most prestigious châteaux and the most lavishly furnished museums of France and England. This painting is similar to the portrait of Antoine Crozat, Marquis du Chatel, as a Knight of the Holy Spirit (138 x 105.5 cm) in the Palace of Versailles, as well as to another version in the Musée Fabre in Montpellier. Modern giltwood frame. An old restoration in the lower left corner. Good condition. 18,500 euros.