Getty Museum
Portrait of Marc de Villiers
Creator
Jacques-André-Joseph AvedFrench Artist · 1702–1766
All works by this person →If his father hadn't died when he was a child, Jacques-André-Joseph Aved might never have seen Dutch art. After his mother remarried a captain in the Dutch guards, the family left France for Amsterdam. Aved's exposure to Dutch art led to his development of the "psychological portrait." This innovation signaled a shift away from the mythologizing style of contemporaries like Nicolas de Largillière.
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1747
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Culture
- French
- Department
- Paintings
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Jacques-André-Joseph Aved created a sense of immediacy by depicting Marc de Villiers, a high government official to the court of Louis XV, leaning slightly forward while fixing the spectator with an intense gaze. Next to him an ornate desk is covered with parliamentary and state papers. Grasping the arm of the chair as if about to rise, Villiers holds a copy of Homer's *Iliad* in his right hand, giving the impression that he has been interrupted while reading. By appearing in his study and in casual dress, the sitter presents himself not only as a high-ranking official but also as a gentleman scholar.
The authoritative record is held by Getty Museum. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Get printable QR codesHide QR codes
Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Getty Museum and other institutions.