Lot 184: Louis-Gabriel Blanchet (Paris 1705-1772 Rome)

Portrait of a gentleman, three-quarter-length, seated, in a black coat and embroidered waistcoat, his left hand resting on a book
signed (?) inscribed (?) and dated 'Blanchet juv. t Romae 1766' (centre left) and inscribed on the book 'DIALOGU./DE/FOCIONE'
oil on canvas
35 3/4 x 28 3/8 in. (90.9 x 72.1 cm.)

Anonymous sale [The Property of a Gentleman]; Christie's, London, 19 May 1989, lot 62.

Louis-Gabriel Blanchet settled permanently in Rome after winning second prize in the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1727. Principally a portrait painter, he enjoyed the patronage of Nicolas Vleughels, Director of the Académie de France, among other patrons in Rome. As a participant in the transition from the late Baroque style to the Neo-classicism that dominated the end of the eighteenth century, Blanchet is generally thought to be one of the most important French artists to make his career entirely in Rome. This lot is a characteristic example of Blanchet's oeuvre, with his controlled classicism and rather careful style, the only flamboyance being the flourish of lace on the sleeves.

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