Portrait of the artist, bust-length, with a yellow cravat and a blue cloak, feigned oval

The inscription on the reverse of the canvas indicates that the present painting was a gift from the artist to either Antoine or Jean Ranc, with whose family he was closely connected. Antoine Ranc was one of the artist's first masters, and Jean Ranc, his son, became Rigaud's pupil in 1696 and married his niece, Marguerite, in 1715. Dominique Breme has suggested that the date - 1696 - of this self-portrait could indicate that it was a gift from Rigaud to Jean Ranc marking the latter's arrival in the artist's studio.

We are grateful to Professor Dominique Breme for confirming the attribution of the present painting and for his help in its cataloguing.