Portrait of a middle-aged man in armour

Vaillant, who was also active as a painter and printmaker, especially in mezzotint, produced a large number of monochrome portraits such as the present example, in which he subtly modulates the grey tones thanks to the combined use of black chalk and pastel. Similar to the man depicted here is the Maréchal de France Antoine III de Gramont (1604-1678), who became a patron of the artist in 1659 and whose likeness is known from several prints after Vaillant.