88 - Follower of Philippe de Champaigne,

Follower of Philippe de Champaigne, French 1602-1674- Portrait of a man, half length, in ecclesiastical robes; oil on canvas, oval, 66 x 56 cm. Provenance: Private Collection, UK. Note: De Champaigne was a founding member of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in Paris. During the 1630s and 1640s, he was one of the leading painters at the French court, renowned for his portraits of royalty, the high nobility, senior members of the church and state, and other prominent figures. The present work appears to be inspired by de Champaigne’s ecclesiastical portraits, particularly his solemn depictions of senior members of the church. Indeed, it recalls a portrait by de Champaigne sold at Leclere, Paris, on 29 March 2019, lot 31 (€31,200), and bears further similarities to a work which sold at Christie’s, London, on 3 December 1997, lot 195 (£34,500).