Portrait of Jean-Gabriel du Theil at the Signing of the Treaty of Vienna
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 124.5 × 92.4 cm · framed: 153.5 × 121.5 × 13.5 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1964.89
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
As secretary of foreign affairs for Louis XV of France, Jean-Gabriel du Theil (1685–1755) helped negotiate the 1738 Treaty of Vienna, which ceded the Duchy of Lorraine to France. The seal du Theil holds in his hand, the silver-gilt writing set, and the thick document all allude to these negotiations, while the wisp of smoke rising from the candle used to melt the sealing wax suggests that the treaty has only just concluded. Du Thiel’s relaxed posture conveys calm assurance, but his sharp gaze is...