# Nicolas de Largillierre artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/nicolas-de-largillierre/
Profile generated: 2026-05-18T18:16:22.883Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1656-10-10
- Death date: 1746-03-30
- Nationality: French
- Movements: French Baroque / Late Baroque
- Common media: oil painting, drawing

## About Nicolas de Largillierre

Nicolas de Largillierre (1656–1746) was a French painter and draughtsman of Flemish descent, widely regarded as one of the leading portraitists of the French Baroque. Born in Paris to a Flemish merchant family, he trained in Antwerp and London before establishing his career in Paris. Largillierre became known for his richly colored, opulent portraits of the French aristocracy, civic officials, and wealthy bourgeoisie. He served as director of the Académie de Peinture et de Sculpture from 1733 to 1735 and held the position of court painter. His style combined the fluid brushwork and warm palette of Flemish tradition with the formality of French academic portraiture. Collectors encounter his work primarily at Old Master auctions and in major European museum collections.

## Common works and media

Largillierre is best known for oil on canvas portraits, including individual sitters, family groups, and civic or corporate commissions. He also produced historical and allegorical compositions. Drawings in chalk, ink, and wash exist in smaller numbers and are held primarily in museum collections. Engravings after his paintings were widely disseminated in the 18th century. Works encountered at auction are predominantly oil portraits of varying scale, from intimate half-length formats to large full-length state portraits.

## Market and appraisal context

Largillierre's works appear with some regularity in the Old Master Paintings and Drawings market, with over 330 lots recorded in auction databases. Value depends heavily on whether a painting is a fully autograph work, a studio collaboration, or a follower copy. Portraits of identifiable historical figures and works with documented provenance tend to achieve stronger results. Oil on canvas portraits form the bulk of his auction presence, while preparatory drawings are rarer and sought after when they surface. Condition, relining history, and the quality of the painted surface are key factors in appraisal. Collectors should verify attribution through expert opinion, as workshop output and later copies circulate alongside original works.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page draws on identity records from the Getty Union List of Artist Names, VIAF, the RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History, Wikidata, and published biographical references. Appraisily combines this artist research with auction-house records, sale dates, realized prices, provenance notes, and comparable lots when those records are available, to support collectors and appraisers in evaluating works attributed to this artist.

## Sources

- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q550302
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_de_Largilli%C3%A8re
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500011561
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/71513528/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85101518
- RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/48121