Portrait of Pierre Antoine de Boyer du Suquet 1776

Charles Nicolas Cochin II created this delicate graphite drawing of Pierre Antoine de Boyer du Suquet in 1776. As an engraver and draughtsman, Cochin was central to the French court’s artistic institutions during the reign of Louis XV. Here, the small circular portrait format, known as a ‘medallion portrait’, was very fashionable and evokes the refined tastes of the French aristocracy. The drawing creates meaning through its precise lines and delicate shading, capturing not just a likeness, but also the sitter’s social standing. The powdered wig, the cut of his jacket, and his composed expression, all speak to Boyer du Suquet’s membership of the French elite. To understand this image better, we might research the visual culture of the French court at Versailles. By delving into sources from the period, we can learn about the patronage networks that sustained artists like Cochin and the social rituals that governed aristocratic life. It reminds us that art is always embedded in its social and institutional context.