Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/604

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574 Painting the style of Annibale Carracci, whilst exaggerating the studied grace of Albani; and a number of historic por- traits, the Grand Dauphin, the Duke of Burgundy, the Duke of Anjou, Madame de Maintenon, and Mignard him- self. In all his works — sacred and historic paintings as well as portraits — he displays the same cold correctness, the same skilfulness in the art of flattery, the same care in minute details carried to the extreme which has made his name a proverb in France ; but they also show a lightness of touch and vivacity of colouring which easily rendered him the first colourist among the court painters of France. Claude Lefebvre (1633 — 1675), who was born at Fon- tainebleau, was a pupil of Le Sueur and Le Brun, and painted portraits which remind us of Philippe de Cham- pagne. He visited England in the reign of Charles II., and it is believed that he died in London. Nicolas Largilliere (1656 — 1746), though born at Paris, received his early education in art at Antwerp, where his father settled as a merchant. He visited England, and painted portraits of Charles II., James II., and many noblemen. Louis XIV. also sat to him. A portrait of Le Brun by Largilliere is in the Louvre. Hyacinthe Rigaud (1659 — 1743), the son of an artist, of Perpignan, has been called the French Van Dyck. Amongst his pictures in the Louvre, Louis XI V. figures in the front rank ; and Bossuet, who seems to be holding a court in his bishop's robes as the chief of the church and the king of eloquence. Thanks to engravings, these pictures are known everywhere. Antoine Coypel (1661—1722), the son of Noel Coypel, an artist of some celebrity, accompanied his father to Rome, and studied the style of Bernini. On his return to