Maurice Quentin de La Tour

1704 – 1788

He was, with Perronneau, the most celebrated French pastellist of the 18th century. He was born in St Quentin and went to Paris as a young man; after visits to London and other places he settled in Paris 1724-84. He soon found that the vogue for pastel portraits started by Rosalba Carriera in 1719/20 was still capable of exploitation and he devoted the rest of his life to it. His portraits are characterized by an extreme vivacity of handling - sometimes rather vulgar - and a firm grasp of character. As a very old man the study of politics drove him crazy, and he retired to St Quentin, where the largest and best collection of his works is to be found: it includes many studies and sketches which are sometimes superior to the finished portraits.

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