Robert Nanteuil (c. 1623-1678)
Portrait of Hardouin de Beaumont de Péréfixe (1606-1671)
1662, engraving on paper, first state of four
12 5/8 x 9 7/8 in. (32.1 x 25.1 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Frederick Paul Keppel (C00.0802.157)

Nanteuil created four engraved portraits of Hardouin de Beaumont de Péréfixe, most likely all from the same pastel drawing from life. The facial features of the sitter are indeed very similar in the two portraits displayed here, even though each impression was printed from a different plate. Wrinkles around the eyes and mouth are more perceptible in the later portrait. However, these signs of aging could be attributed to the differences in condition between the two prints – the earlier one having visibly faded. The pattern of stars in the background of the later portrait is rare in Nanteuil’s oeuvre and sets apart this print portraying Louis XIV’s former tutor, who was promoted to Archbishop of Paris in 1664.