Portrait of Cardinal Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan Soubise (1674-1749), half-length, wearing the Order of the Holy Spirit

Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan Soubise became bishop of Strasbourg in 1704 and rose to the Cardinalate in 1712. A year later he became the Grand Almoner of France and was made Commander of the Order of the Holy Spirit. He is depicted here wearing the order’s badge, comprising a Maltese cross, fleurs-de-lis, and white dove. While there are many versions of this portrait, some that depict the sitter in half-length, the location of the prime composition in unknown.