Le Grand Siècle: Paintings and Drawings from the Age of Louis XIV

The paintings and drawings in this exhibition touch on a variety of subjects, from music and mythology to the role of patronage and the importance of Italy as a source of inspiration.

A portrait of the exquisitely dressed Louis François Marie Le Tellier, Marquis de Barbezieux, Louis XIV’s secretary of state for military affairs, was painted by Pierre Mignard (1612-1695) who began working for the court of Louis XIV after his return from Italy in 1657. A red chalk drawing by Louis de Silvestre (1675-1760) depicts the Comte de Toulouse, Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan’s youngest son, who became Admiral de France. The exhibition further includes portraits of the children of the remarkable Duchesse de Longueville; a portrait of the musician Catherine de la Boissière, née Loison by François de Troy; an exceptional 'Danäe and the Shower of Gold' by Jean-François de Troy; and exquisite gouaches on vellum by Joseph Werner and Pierre-Antoine Patel,