Urbain de Maillé, Marquis de Brézé, Marshal of France (1597-1650)

Langloï​s’s training under Jacques‑Louis David is evident in the portrait’s restrained composition and clear, linear modeling. The Neoclassical influence appears in the controlled palette, the emphasis on form over ornament, and the calm, almost statuesque presence of the figure.

Although the subject died in the mid‑seventeenth century, the portrait was created more than 180 years after his death, a practice not common for contemporary portraiture. The work entered the Versailles holdings, where it remains displayed among other portraits of French historical figures.

Created during the July Monarchy, the painting reflects a period of renewed interest in France’s royal and military past. By portraying a celebrated marshal from the era of Louis XIII, Langloï​s contributed to the nineteenth‑century narrative that linked contemporary France to its earlier dynastic heritage.