Arcadópolis
Portrait of Ferdinand Guillemardet
Francisco de Goya, 1798
What you see
Ferdinand Guillemardet sits sideways on a wooden chair, legs stretched out to the left. He twists his torso and head toward us, rests one arm over the chair back and returns our gaze calmly. Beside him, a table with a golden cloth holds a plumed hat, an inkwell with a quill and some papers.
Almost everything is dark: the navy coat and breeches melt into the grey background. What stands out is the sash at his waist, blue, white and red with gold fringe, along with the plumes of the hat. Keep an eye out for the gilded sword hilt beside the sash, and the sheen of the tablecloth.
About Francisco de Goya
Francisco de Goya was born in Fuendetodos, Aragon, and became court painter to the kings of Spain. He painted elegant portraits, cheerful scenes for tapestries and also the horrors of war. He kept experimenting until the end of his life, and many consider him the first modern painter.
More by Francisco de Goya
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