Picture Archive & Historical Portraits
Skip to main content
  • Menu
  • Artists
  • Artworks
  • Image Licensing
  • Philip Mould Gallery
  • Contact
Menu
Henri Gascars

Henri Gascars

Henri Gascars, Portrait of a Lady, 1670s

Henri Gascars

Portrait of a Lady, 1670s
Oil on canvas
21 x 17 in (53.4 x 43.2 cm)
Philip Mould & Co.
License Image
%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22artist%22%3EHenri%20Gascars%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22title_and_year%22%3E%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_title%22%3EPortrait%20of%20a%20Lady%3C/span%3E%2C%20%3Cspan%20class%3D%22title_and_year_year%22%3E1670s%3C/span%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22medium%22%3EOil%20on%20canvas%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv%20class%3D%22dimensions%22%3E21%20x%2017%20in%20%2853.4%20x%2043.2%20cm%29%3Cbr/%3E%0A%3C/div%3E
To view all current artworks for sale visit philipmould.com  This superbly detailed portrait is probably one of Gascar’s series of portraits of the Ladies of Charles II’s court. A...
Read more

To view all current artworks for sale visit philipmould.com


This superbly detailed portrait is probably one of Gascar’s series of portraits of the Ladies of Charles II’s court. A number of very similar pictures exist, painted in about 1675, including a portrait of Charles’ mistress, Barbara Villiers, Duchess of Cleveland [Private Collection, formerly with Philip Mould Ltd]. The present sitter is unfortunately unidentified, but the picture is a relatively rare example of the French influence on English art in the later seventeenth century. Gascar’s paintings are immediately noticeable for their vivid colouring and attention to detail, and a tendency to focus on decorative aspects of his subject’s dress or setting occasionally at the expense of accurate drawing or likeness.

On his arrival in England, Gascar brought a considerable knowledge of European art and style. Born in France, he is thought to have studied mainly in Italy. He is recorded in Rome in 1659, but evidently moved back to Northern Europe to seek patronage, as evidenced by a portrait of the diarist Nicolas Delafond painted in Amsterdam in 1667 (Hermitage, St Petersburg). Having failed to establish a successful practice in France, he left for England, probably at the behest of Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth, Charles II’s favourite French mistress, in about 1672.

Gascar’s elegant finesse proved immediately popular, contrasting as it did with the more sombre formality of the mainly Dutch court painters. The showy, flamboyant and mannered composition seen here was the perfect expression of the French taste in opposition to English stolidity, and suited the frivolous mood of the times. Even Sir Peter Lely, whose genius had dominated English painting since the Restoration, felt threatened by Gascar’s success, which was heightened by the popularity of his novel mezzotint reproductions. The Frenchman painted almost all the leading women of the court, including the Duchess of Portsmouth and Nell Gwyn, in a picture that is now lost, and known only through an engraving.

Close full details
Share
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Email
Previous
|
Next
10 
of  12
PHILIP MOULD & COMPANY
CONTACT

+44 (0)20 7499 6818
art@philipmould.com

18-19 Pall Mall
London SW1Y 5LU

philipmould.com

FOLLOW US

Instagram

Facebook

TikTok

YouTube

Artsy

 

Join the mailing list
Manage cookies
Copyright © 2025 Picture Archive & Historical Portraits
Site by Artlogic

This website uses cookies
This site uses cookies to help make it more useful to you. Please contact us to find out more about our Cookie Policy.

Manage cookies
Accept

Cookie preferences

Check the boxes for the cookie categories you allow our site to use

Cookie options
Required for the website to function and cannot be disabled.
Improve your experience on the website by storing choices you make about how it should function.
Allow us to collect anonymous usage data in order to improve the experience on our website.
Allow us to identify our visitors so that we can offer personalised, targeted marketing.
Save preferences
Close

Be the first to hear about our available artworks

Interests *

Sign Up

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.