Portrait Of A Man - Attributed To Nicolas Mignard (1606–1668)

This finely detailed 17th century portrait of a man exhibits many of the hallmarks of Nicolas Mignard's portraiture style. Mignard's portraits often combine Roman classical ideals with the refinement of the French court, reflecting his studies of Carraci's works in Rome and the works of French Mannerists. Rather than depicting his sitter in standard contemporary clothing, the man is shown wearing a Roman-style mantle, a blue under-shirt beneath rich red and gold brocade drapery, associating him with the virtues of the ancient world. This gold brocade, the embroidery of which is rendered in exquisite detail, signals the wealth and status of the patron.

Mignard captured the essence of his sitters using subtle body language, rather than grand gestures. Here, the sitter is shown with a gentle downwards tilt of his head, his eyes half-lowered and looking out to the left of the canvas. This imbues the sitter with a sense of quite intellect and refinement.

The sitter is set against a dark background, creating a stark contrast with his rich costume and softly illuminated face, again characteristic of Mignard's work. His soft black curls almost fade into the background, rewarding a careful viewer with their finely detailing. These curls, along with the man's precisely trimmed moustache align with the fashion of the mid-17th century French court indicating that, despite his Roman-style costume, this was a contemporary subject.

Nicolas Mignard
Nicolas Mignard, also known as Mignard Avignon was a 17th century French painter known for his portraits, as well has his religious and mythological scenes. He came from a family of artists with his younger brother, Pierre Mignard also becoming a renowned painter and rival of Charles Le Brun.

Mignard studied painting locally in his hometown of Troyes before travelling to Fontainebleau, Paris and Lyon before moving to Avignon around 1633. He also travelled to Rome where he was particularly influenced by the works of Annibale Carracci before returning to Avignon to paint mostly religious works and portraits and decoration for wealthy patrons with opulent residences.

He married Marguerite d'Avril and the couple had two sons: Paul Mignard and Pierre II Mignard, both of whom when on to become painters.

Mignard joined Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in 1663 and became Professor and Assistant Rector of the Académie in 1664 and Rector in 1666. He was a supporter of the artist Charles Le Brun, despite his conflict with Mignard's younger brother, leading to a rift in the family that was passed down to Nicolas' sons.