The 17th-Century French Paintings

The National Gallery, London, possesses an outstanding collection of French seventeenth-century paintings, in part a reflection of the enthusiasm with which British collectors once acquired the works of Poussin and Claude. Many of the greatest works of these two French masters are in the Gallery; some, such as Claude’s Enchanted Castle and Poussin’s Triumph of Pan, were acquired since the publication of The French School by Martin Davies in 1957. In this new catalogue, Humphrey Wine takes a fresh look at these masterpieces, together with the work of such artists as Laurent de La Hyre, Philippe de Champaigne, Valentin de Boulogne, and the Le Nain brothers. Important paintings, including Champaigne’s full-length Cardinal Richelieu, La Hyre’s Allegorical Figure of Grammar, and Eustache Le Sueur’s Alexander and his Doctor, are discussed in detail.New research and information based on a reexamination of each picture are combined with full-page color illustrations, details, technical photographs, and comparative illustrations. This catalogue provides both an invaluable reference for studying seventeenth-century French painting and a closer look at some of the most beautiful paintings in the Gallery’s collection.