#17th-century French art

[frostedmagnolias]

Portrait of a Lady in allegorical guise, holding a dish of pearls (detail)

Pierre Mignard (French, 1612-1695)

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Simon Vouet (1590-1649) "Woman Playing a Guitar" (c. 1618) Oil on canvas Baroque Located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, New York, United States

[random-brushstrokes]

Simon Vouet - Portrait of Artemisia Lomi Gentileschi (1623-26)

[art-allegory]

Allegory of Victory

Artist: Mathieu Le Nain (French, 1607–1677)

Date: circa 1635

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Louvre Museum, Paris, France

[lionofchaeronea]

A Gathering of Friends, Eustache le Sueur, ca. 1640-44

[tragediambulante]

David with Goliath and two soldiers, Valentin de Boulogne, 1620-22

[the-evil-clergyman]

Diana by Simon Vouet (1637)

[artandthebible]

The Dream of Saint Joseph

Artist: Philippe de Champaigne (French, 1602-1674)

Date: 1642-1643

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: The National Gallery, London

Description

According to the Gospel of Matthew, an angel appears to the Virgin Mary’s husband, Joseph, in a dream. Champaigne shows the angel gesturing towards both heaven and the Virgin Mary, confirming that Christ has been conceived through the Holy Ghost. Kneeling in front of an open Bible, Mary glances towards the angel, her arms crossed over her chest.

Biblical Narrative | Matthew 1:20-25, NIV

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

[classic-art-favourites]

Saint Augustine by Philippe de Champaigne, 1645-1650.

[historyguide]

Chateau de Versailles (1668) by Pierre Patel.

Explore our visual guides and documentaries about art & history.

[collectionstilllife]

André Bouys (French, 1656–1740) • Composition au pichet de cuivre et au service à thé (Still Life with Chocolate Service) • Unknown date

[srednod]

Simon Vouet (1590–1649) A study of a bearded man, head and shoulders

[life-imitates-art-far-more]

Louise Moillon (1610-1696) "Still Life with Fruit" (1637) Baroque Located in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain

[random-brushstrokes]

Trophime Bigot - Judith Cutting Off the Head of Holofernes (ca. 1640)

[solcattus]

Portrait of a Lady

By Nicolas de Largillière

[lionofchaeronea]

Title: Hannibal Crossing the Alps on an Elephant Artist: perhaps Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594-1665); attribution disputed Date: ca. 1625-26 Genre: historical painting Period: French Baroque Movement: Classicism Medium: oil on canvas Dimensions: 100 cm (39.3 in) high x 133 cm (52.3 in) wide Location: private collection