Konrad Detlef Graf von Dehn, by Nicolas de Largillière, 1724

Konrad Detlef Graf von Dehn (1688, Preetz, Holstein - 28 January 28 1753, The Hague), German minister, diplomat, and favorite of Herzog August Wilhelm of Brunswick. The son of a Danish officer, he joined the court of Herzog Anton Ulrich von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel at about the age of fifteen. The good-looking young page was soon taken under the wing of the Herzog's son and eventual successor, the thrice-married but vigorously homosexual Prinz August Wilhelm - twenty-six years Dehn's senior - who saw to his education. After the succession of August Wilhelm in 1714, Dehn was quickly promoted up the ranks of government offices, and was soon described as one of the most powerful men at the Brunswick ducal court. Diplomatic missions led him as envoyé extraordinaire to the courts of Versailles, London, The Hague, and Vienna. He made two profitable marriages, built and lived lavishly, and amassed a collection of more than five hundred paintings. In 1730, though, he was dismissed from his positions, the result of embezzlement and years of too-obvious favoritism. And the following year, at the death of August Wilhelm, he had to leave the country. He gave himself to the service of the Danish that same year and worked as a Danish envoy in St. Petersburg, Madrid, and The Hague. He died in the latter city at the age of sixty-four.

Interesting enough story, interesting enough fellow. But, of course, this post is really only about the remarkable portrait. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I love everything about this. And I've certainly featured the work of Largillière many times. But I just marvel at what he does. The color harmonies, the delicate yet vigorous application of paint, the fully realized details, the reflection of light. His description of the textures, all distinct: the nearly phosphorescent gauziness of the wig; the soft drape and weight of the white lace and the spiky stiffness of the metallic lace; the cool semi-translucence of the marble table top; the thick bend and shimmer of the remarkably beautiful silver and rose-colored brocade.

The rising seam in the sleeve catches the light, giving off the brightest highlights.

"MEDAILLES DE LOUIS LE GRAND", "PERSPECTIVES DE VERSAILLES".

I love the light coming through the backlit fingers of the held kid glove, and the light reflecting back onto them.

Of course I love the detail of the diamond-framed miniature in its case, which looks to be, from what appears to be a stamped
seal from the French court (?) and what's legible on the accompanying note, a gift intended for Herzog August Wilhelm. (The
discernible words on the note: "a Mon Cousin...Wolfenbutel Prince...." Rulers of countries, even when unrelated, would address
each other cousin.) I think the depiction of the case is even more interesting than that of the jeweled order; the simple clasps, the
gold tooling on the edges, and the way the Morocco leather flushes the note with its color.

Beaucoup d'hommes - portraits of men

Tête d'un africain, by Paul-Jean Flandrin, 1830.

Thomas Law Hodges at the age of 18, by Sir William Beechey, 1794.

The marquis de Saint-Paul, by Jean-Baptiste Greuze, circa 1760.

Henri Cartier-Bresson, by George Platt Lynes, 1935.

Nikolai Petrovich Novosiltsev, by (after?) Vladimir Borovikovsky, circa 1807.

John Singer Sargent, by Giovanni Boldini, circa 1884.

Mr. Lewis as the Marquis in "The Midnight Hour", by Sir Martin Archer Shee, before 1792.

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, 1597.

Add caption

Gymnast Viktor Lisicki, by Dmitry Zhilinsky, 1984.

Jeune homme en redingote, miniature, French School, circa 1840.

Louis-Charles-Edmé de La Châtre, comte de Nançay (dit le marquis de La Châtre), by Nicolas de Largillière, circa 1710.

Ernest Henry Schelling, by John Singer Sargent, 1912.

Artist Nikolai Dmitrievich Kuznetsov, by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, 1884 and 1914.

Portrait d'homme en buste à la veste bleue, by Ferdinand Machera, circa 1800-10.

(The actual size of this minia-
ture is 2 1/8 inches by 1 5/8.)

Portrait of a Boy in a Top Hat with Flies, by John Opie, circa 1800.

Portrait of a Man, Possibly an Architect or Geographer, oil on copper, by Peter Paul Rubens 1597.

Unknown Young Nobleman, by Jacob Ferdinand Voet, circa 1670-75.

Four Studies of a Male Head, by Peter Paul Rubens, circa 1617-19.

Unknown, circa late 19th century-early 20th century. (Collection Ralf de Jonge.)

Portrait of a Young Man with a Violin, possibly Pierre Rode, by Jacques-Antoine Vallin, 1808.

Jacopo Boncompagni, by Scipione Pulzone, called Il Gaetano, 1574.

Portrait allégorique d'homme en Bacchus (once identified as the Régent, Philippe II, duc d'Orléans), by Nicolas de Largillière, circa 1680-85.

 Artist Miroslav Kraljević, by Vladimir Becić, 1908.

Steve Wengryn, by Vulcan Studio, circa late 1950s.

Portrait de jeune homme barbu dit l'Albinos, by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant, circa last quarter of the 19th century.

Sir Graham Moore, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, circa 1792.

Saturation - color in the portraits of Largillière

Just a post to highlight Largillière's really remarkable use of luscious, saturated color*. (Plus a few irresistible, not-actually-color-related details.)

Marie-Thérèse Blonel d'Haraucourt, duchesse de Phalaris (in old age called "Mère Jezabel" due to her overuse of cosmetics), as Flora, circa 1720.

Marc-Conrad Buisson, circa 1710.

Catherine Bielinska, baronne de Besenval, circa 1716.

Hugues Desnotz, échevin (alderman) of the city of Paris, 1704.

Portrait of a Lady, circa 1710.

Jeanne-Elisabeth de Beauharnais, 1719.

Madame Claude-Joseph Geoffroy, 1725.

Marie-Elisabeth-Desirée de Chantemerle, comtesse de Hergh, 1715.

Marguerite de Sève, wife of Barthélemy-Jean-Claude Pupil, 1729.

Norbert Roettiers, circa 1715.

Portrait of a Lady, circa 1710-20.

Portrait of a Lady (sometimes said to be Anne-Thérèse de Marguenat de Courcelles, madame de Lambert, marquise de Saint-Bris), circa 1710.

Jeune homme inconnu, circa 1695.

The marquise de Fortia, 1726.

Portrait of a Lady, possibly Jeanne de Robais, or the Duchess of Beaufort, circa 1714.

Portrait of a Lady, possibly madame Claude-Lambert de Thorigny, née Marie-Marguerite Bontemps, circa 1696.

Portrait of a Lady, circa 1696.

L'Artiste en tenue d'atelier (self-portrait), 1707.

La Comédienne Marie-Anne de Châteauneuf, dite Mlle. Duclos, dans le rôle d'Ariane, 1712.

* With the vagaries of color reproduction and the perversity of the internet, I can't swear to the accuracy of the degree of saturation in some of the images....