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Notes

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We do not know the identity of this elegant young man in armour. Neither the wig nor the costume allows us to date the portrait precisely. He turns to look at us, as though glancing back for a moment, his lips slightly parted and his eyes directly meeting ours. The medal decorating his armour is that of a chevalier (knight) of the military Order of St Louis. However, too many officers were awarded that honour in the years around 1750 to be able to work out with any certainty who he might be.

The armour also appears in Nattier’s 1745–6 portraits of the baron de Besenval (State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg) and the duc de Penthièvre (copy in a private collection) and was presumably a studio prop. The picture surface is covered with a thick yellowed varnish but the portrait has not been cut down.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Portrait of a Man in Armour

Date

about 1750

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 54 x W 44.5 cm

Accession number

NG5587

Acquisition method

Bequeathed by Emilie Yznaga, 1945

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.

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Artist or maker

Jean-Marc Nattier

1685–1766

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