Artwork
Portrait of Antoine Coypel
Portrait of Antoine Coypel is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Gilles Allou. It dates from 1711 and is held in the collection of the Palace of Versailles.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1711 by the French portraitist Gilles Allou, this oil painting presents Antoine Coypel, a notable cultural figure of the early eighteenth century. Executed within the Rococo aesthetic, the work resides in the collection of the Palace of Versailles, offering a glimpse of courtly portraiture during the reign of Louis XIV.
Subject & Meaning
Antoine Coypel is shown with light, loosely curled hair, dressed in a dark coat over a white shirt with a ruffled collar. He holds a red cloth in his left hand and a slender implement in his right, gestures that hint at his professional identity and the refined demeanor expected of a man of his standing.
Technique & Style
Allou employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, allowing the illuminated face and hands to emerge from a deep, shadowed backdrop. The subtle gradation of light across the dark background creates a three‑dimensional presence, while the meticulous rendering of fabric and hair underscores the painter’s attention to texture and detail.
History & Provenance
Born in Beauvais in 1670, Gilles Allou earned admission to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in 1710, shortly before completing this portrait. Since its creation, the painting has remained in royal custody, eventually becoming part of the Versailles holdings where it is displayed among other works documenting the era’s artistic production.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Gilles Allou (1670–1751) was a French painter. He was a well-known portrait painter in his time, but is little known today. Gilles Allou was born in 1670. The Allou family came from Beauvaisis. On 8 July 1702 Gilles…
Portrait of a mathematician
Self-Portrait
Portrait de Pierre Drevet
Portrait of a Painter, probably a Self Portrait
Selbstbildnis mit Pelzmütze
The Sculptor Nicolas Coustou in his Atelier
Portrait of a Man
Self Portrait at the Age of about Forty; Verso: Study for 'An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump'
Nicolas de Largillière représenté en 1711, travaillant à une Annonciation
Chancellor Florius Senesius
Bildnis eines Malers
Portrait of Pieter Parker, Alderman, Burgomaster and Councilor of Goes