Portrait of the Duc de Broglie

Hyacinthe Rigaud completed this imposing portrait in 1693, depicting François-Marie de Broglie in full aristocratic splendor. The Duke appears half-length in armor, draped in a velvet-lined leopard skin mantle and wearing the Sash of the Order of the Holy Spirit. He holds the baton of a Marshal of France in his left hand, symbols of his military rank and royal favor.

Rigaud was the preeminent Baroque portraitist at the court of Louis XIV, famous for his ability to convey power and prestige. The King himself declared Rigaud "the greatest French artist of all time." This painting now hangs at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. Rigaud set the standard for official portraiture that European courts would follow for centuries.