Half-length, turned to the left; his left hand is in his sash, his
right holds a marshal's bâton. His dress is a fawn-coloured doublet
with a cuirass, a blue sash, and a blue mantle embroidered with a
fleur-de-lys over it. Short hair, beardless face. On canvas, 3 ft.
high, by 2 ft. 5 in. wide.
This portrait was painted by Rigaud, as the contemporary mezzotint
engraving by J. Simon proves, and not, as has been said, by
Mignard, who had been dead thirty years. He is considered one of
the best French portrait-painters of that period. Louis XV.
conferred several favours on him, and decorated him with the Order
of St. Michael, in 1727, soon after this portrait was painted. This
distinction was given, as he said, "tant en considération de la
réputation acquise dans son art, que pour avoir peint la famille
royalle jusqu'à la quatrième génération."