Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Périgord (1754–1838), Prince de Bénévent

François Gérard's portrait of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord of 1808 depicts the supreme survivor of French politics, who served Louis XVI, the Revolution, Napoleon, the Restoration, and the July Monarchy in successive ministerial capacities by consistently placing France's interests above ideological loyalty. Talleyrand was the most consequential diplomat of the era — his work at the Congress of Vienna shaped Europe for a century — and Gérard captured the inscrutability that made him invaluable to every regime. The portrait attempts to fix a man defined by deliberate elusiveness.

Gérard renders Talleyrand's shrewd, aristocratic features with diplomatic tact, conveying intelligence and reserve. The elegant pose and sumptuous costume details demonstrate Gérard's mastery of formal court portraiture.