François de Troy ( 28 February 1645 – 1 May 1730) was a French painter and engraver who became principal painter to

King James II James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

in exile at

Saint-Germain-en-Laye Saint-Germain-en-Laye () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the centre of Paris. Inhabitants are called ''Saint-Germanois'' or ''Saint-Ge ...

and Director of the Académie Royale de peinture et de sculpture.

Early life

One of a family of artists, Troy was born in

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...

, the son of Antoine Troy (baptised 28 July 1608 – 15 September 1684), a painter in that city,Robert-Dumesnil, Alexandre Pierre F., ''Le peintre-graveur français, ou Catalogue raisonné des estampes gravées par les peintres et les dessinateurs de l'ecole française'', vol. 7 (1844
p. 337
online at books.google.com (accessed 15 February 2008) and Astrugue Bordes. François Troy and was the brother of the painter Jean de Troy (4 April 1638 – 25 June 1691). Troy was taught the basic skills of painting by his father, and perhaps also by the more worldly Antoine Durand.François de Troy
at safran-arts.com (accessed 15 February 2008) François de Troy is not to be confused with his son, the portrait painter

Jean-François de Troy Jean-François de Troy (27 January 1679, Paris – 26 January 1752, Rome) was a French Rococo easel and fresco painter, draughtsman and tapestry designer. One of France's leading history painters in his time, he was equally successful with his de ...

(1679–1752), who studied under him.

Career

At some time after 1662, Troy went to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

to study portrait painting under

Claude Lefèbvre Claude Lefèbvre (12 September 1632 (baptised) - 25 April 1675) was a French painter and engraver.Brême 1996, p. 65. Early life and training Lefèbvre was born at Fontainebleau, the son of the painter Jean Lefèbvre (1600–1675), and became ...

(1633–1675) and Nicolas-Pierre Loir (1624–1679]. A. P. F. Robert-Dumesnil states that this occurred when Troy was aged twenty-four. In 1669, Troy married his master Nicolas-Pierre Loir's sister-in-law, Jeanne Cotelle. In 1671, he was approved (''agréé'') by the Académie Royale de peinture et de sculpture. In 1674, he was received into the Academy as a history painter, with a

reception piece In art, a reception piece is a work submitted by an artist to an academy for approval as part of the requirements for admission to membership. The piece is normally representative of the artist's work, and the organization's judgement of its skil ...

(''morceau de réception'') entitled ''Mercure coupant la tête d'Argus'' (' Mercury cutting off the head of Argus'). Troy's early known works include tapestry designs for

Madame de Montespan Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...

, one of the many mistresses of

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of ...

, and paintings with religious and mythological subjects. In the 1670s, he became friendly with

Roger de Piles Roger de Piles (7 October 1635 – 5 April 1709) was a French painter, engraver, art critic and diplomat. Life Born in Clamecy, Roger de Piles studied philosophy and theology, and devoted himself to painting. In 1662 he became tutor to Miche ...

, who introduced him to Dutch and Flemish painting, and after the death of Claude Lefebvre in 1675, Troy changed his direction to become a portrait artist, aiming at commissions from Lefebvre's former clients. In 1679 he was commissioned to paint a portrait of the Swedish ambassador

Nils Bielke Count Nils Bielke (7 February 1644 in Stockholm – 26 November 1716) was a member of the High Council of Sweden, military and politician. Born the eldest son of Baron Ture Nilsson Bielke, who died in 1648, Queen Christina granted the young b ...

, and in 1680 that of

Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria Maria Anna Christine Victoria of Bavaria (french: Marie Anne Victoire; 28 November 1660 – 20 April 1690) was Dauphine of France by marriage to Louis, Grand Dauphin, son and heir of Louis XIV. She was known as ''la Grande Dauphine''. The Da ...

, shortly after her marriage to Louis of France, Dauphin of France, the heir to the French throne, on 7 March 1680. Troy became a successful painter of fashionable single and group portraits. His clients included Madame de Montespan, her son by the king,

Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine (31 March 1670 – 14 May 1736) was an illegitimate son of Louis XIV and his official mistress, Madame de Montespan. The king's favourite son, he was the founder of the semi-royal House of Bourbon-Maine name ...

, and his wife

Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon (8 November 167623 January 1753) was the daughter of Henri Jules de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, and Anne Henriette of Bavaria. As a member of the reigning House of Bourbon, she was a '' princesse du sang''. Fo ...

. As a result of such commissions, Troy was able to work continuously in court circles for almost fifty years. He was admired for his ability to capture the upper classes and their preoccupation with manners and fashion. Perhaps more importantly, he was said to have the ability to make any woman look beautiful, which made him sought after by all women. In the 1690s, Troy became the principal painter to the court of

in exile at

, where he was the master of Alexis Simon Belle.Corp, Edward, ''Belle, Alexis-Simon (1674–1734)'' in ''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'' (Oxford University Press, September 2004 By the years 1698 to 1701, a period of peace between France and Great Britain, Jacobites could cross the English Channel carrying portraits of

James Francis Edward Stuart James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales fro ...

and his sister Princess Louisa Maria. Troy was then James II's only court painter and needed the help of Belle, his best student, to produce the many portraits commissioned from him. In 1698, he was appointed a Professor of the Académie Royale, and in 1708 became its Director. Troy was an engraver as well as a painter. Among his engravings is one of the funeral in 1683 of

Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

, the wife of King Louis XIV. Apart from his son, Jean-François, Troy's other students included André Bouys and

John Closterman John Closterman (also spelt Cloosterman, Klosterman; 1660 – 24 May 1711 (buried)) was a Westphalian portrait painter of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His subjects were mostly European noblemen and their families. Career Born in Osn ...

. He died in

at the age of eighty-five.

Work

The portraits painted by Troy include (see image gallery) - *

Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell PC (c. 1630 – 14 August 1691) was an Irish politician, courtier and soldier. Talbot's early career was spent as a cavalryman in the Irish Confederate Wars. Following a period on the Continent, he joined ...

, 1690 *Lady Mary Herbert, Viscountess Montagu, as Diana, c. 1692 * Jean de la Fontaine * Jules Hardouin-Mansart (1646–1708) *

Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre Élisabeth Claude Jacquet de La Guerre (, née Jacquet, 17 March 1665 – 27 June 1729) was a French musician, harpsichordist and composer. Life and works Élisabeth-Claude Jacquet de La Guerre (née Jacquet) was born on March 17, 1665, into a ...

(1665–1729)Notes on the Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre Portrait
at earlywomenmasters.net (accessed 15 February 2008) * Princess Louisa Maria Stuart (1692–1712), about 1705 *''Portrait d'un couple en Vénus et Pâris'', 1691, 150 cm by 120 cm, now in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

Portrait d'un couple en Vénus et Pâris
at the web site of the

(accessed 15 February 2008)

Gallery

File:Jules Hardouin-Mansart.jpg, File:Louisa Maria Stuart by Jean François de Troy.JPG.JPG, File:Elisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre.jpg, File:François de Troy - Portrait d'un jeune garçon avec un chien.jpg, File:Richard Talbot, Earl of Tyrconnel by François de Troy.jpg, File:The Feast of Dido and Aeneas by François de Troy, 1704.jpg, File:Charles Mouton - François de Troy.jpg, File:Friedrich Baron von Knabenau.jpg, File:Duchess Maria Anna Christina Victoria of Bavaria, 'la Grande Dauphine'..jpg, The Dauphine of France, after 1690 File:The Duchess of Maine depicted as Cleopatra by François de Troy.jpg, File:Portrait painting of Françoise Marie de Bourbon, later Duchess of Orléans by François de Troy.jpg, File:François de Troy - Comtesse de Brionne et de son fils Louis de Lorraine, prince de Lambesc.jpg, The Count of Brionne's wife, ''Marie Madeleine d'Epinay'' and son the Prince of Lambesc, 1697 File:Duchess de la Ferte with the Duke of Brittany and the Duke of Anjou, de Troy.JPG, The Duchess of La Ferté-Senneterre with the

Duke of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...

on her lap and the

Duke of Brittany This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...

, 1710 File:Entourage de François de Troy - Portrait d'un mulâtre en armure.jpg, Portrait of a mulatto in armour(c1680-1730)

References

*Cailleux, Jean, ''Some Family and Group Portraits by Francois de Troy (1645–1730)'' in ''

The Burlington Magazine ''The Burlington Magazine'' is a monthly publication that covers the fine and decorative arts of all periods. Established in 1903, it is the longest running art journal in the English language. It has been published by a charitable organisation s ...

'', vol. 113, no. 817 (April 1971), pp. i-xviii *Brême, Dominique, ''François de Troy 1645-1730'' (Paris, ed. Somogy, Editions d'art, 1997, 199 pages, )

Notes

External links

François de Troy
at culture.gouv.fr
François de Troy
at the web site of the National Portrait Gallery, London {{DEFAULTSORT:Troy, Francois De 1645 births 1730 deaths French Baroque painters French portrait painters Court painters