Tuesday 5 December 2023

La Tour pastel on show at the Getty

The J. Paul Getty Museum is currently showcasing Quentin de La Tour's magnificent pastel portrait of Gabriel Bernard de Rieux.  The exhibition Untold Stories of a Monumental Pastel runs at the Getty Center, Los Angeles, from 3rd October 2023 to 20th October 2024.  


One of the largest pastels made in the 18th century, Maurice Quentin de La Tour’s 
Portrait of Gabriel Bernard de Rieux is an astonishing object. In this colossal portrait, the ambitious La Tour (1704–1788) pushed pastel to new heights, capturing his sitter’s likeness and surrounding de Rieux with the trappings of his wealth: fine furniture, an extensive library, imported porcelain, and a globe turned to display the West coast of Africa. This focused exhibition highlights both La Tour’s technical achievement and the global reality that financed and furnished de Rieux’s world.

Getty Center website:

Here is the link to Neil Jeffares's essay on the work from his "Pastels and Pastellists" website: 
La Tour, Le president de Rieux (pastellists.com)

No comments:

Post a Comment