Lot 96: Henri Testelin (Paris 1616-1695 The Hague) Portrait of a gentleman, half-length,

Portrait of a gentleman, half-length, in a gold silk mantle and a white lace chemise, seated
signed and dated 'H. TESTELIN/FESC**/1688' (centre right)
oil on canvas
85 x 66cm (33 7/16 x 26in).

PROVENANCE:
With the Mitchell Galleries, London (according to Witt Library mount)

Henri Testelin, painter and engraver, was active in the French court as a history painter and portraitist. He painted King Louis XIV and important members of his entourage. Amongst the co-founders of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, Testelin was elected secretary from 1650 and professor from 1656. He later published a book on art theory and the Academy; he was dismissed from the Academy in 1681 because of his Protestant faith and subsequently left France for The Netherlands, where he spent the rest of his life.