18th century French school (workshop of Hyacinthe Rigaud) Portrait of Cardinal de Fleury Oil on canvas (Restorations) Portrait of Cardinal de Fleury, oil on canvas, French School, 18th century 59.84 x 53.34 in. 152 x 135.5 cm Provenance: Anna Gould Collection (1875-1961), Countess Boniface de Castellane then Duchess de Talleyrand and Princess de Sagan, Le Palais Rose ; Then by descent ; Anonymous sale; Paris, Hôtel Drouot, Mes Audap et Mirabaud, 5 December 2012, no. 50 (as Hyacinthe Rigaud and studio) ; Acquired at this sale by the current owners Bibliography: Stéphan Perreau, Hyacinthe Rigaud. Catalogue concis de l'œuvre, Sète, 2013, no. P1349-11 (after Rigaud, Stiémart?) and online, no. P.1349, no. 46, consulted on 8 July 2025. Ariane James Sarazin, Hyacinthe Rigaud-catalogue raisonné, Dijon, 2016, t. 2, p.493, no. P.1431 (cited and reproduced in the list of "conserved replicas and copies") Our portrait depicts André Hercule de Fleury at the height of his career: born into a Languedoc family and a clergyman by profession, he became tutor to the young King Louis XV in 1716, then prime minister in 1726, and was made a cardinal the same year. Created in 1728, the portrait, the original of which has been lost, is typical of the ceremonial portraits that Hyacinthe Rigaud specialised in. The painting was a great success, which explains the number of replicas and copies that have survived. The dazzling composition shows the model seated in a carved and gilded wooden armchair in front of a wide drapery, dressed in his red cardinal's robes in a stunning display of textiles, the folds and breaks in the fabrics treated with realism and sumptuousness. On the table are various objects in reference to his ministerial function. As is often the case, Rigaud uses a formula that has already been used, in this case that of the Portrait of Cardinal Dubois dated 1723 (kept at the Museum of Art in Cleveland, USA). French school of the 18th century (Atelier de Hyacinthe Rigaud) 152 x 135.5 cm