Portrait of Cardinal Richelieu

Philippe de Champaigne painted this Portrait of Cardinal Richelieu around 1637, one of the finest of his many likenesses of the cardinal who was among his most important patrons. Champaigne had been appointed painter to Marie de' Medici before becoming the principal painter of Richelieu's court, and his portraits of the cardinal combine the flattery required by the highest patronage with genuine psychological penetration. The three-quarter length format — the cardinal in his red robes against a neutral ground — became the standard representation of Richelieu through Champaigne's multiple iterations, and this version is notable for the clarity of light and the contained intensity of the gaze. Champaigne's Flemish training in realistic portraiture was perfectly suited to the French court's demand for impressive official likenesses.

Champaigne's meticulous Flemish technique captures the shimmer of the cardinal's red moiré silk robes and the delicate lace of his surplice, while the face conveys an expression of calculated intelligence.