Nicolas de Largillière (1656–1746) was a prominent French painter known for his elegant and expressive Baroque portraits. Born in Paris but raised in Antwerp, Largillière began his artistic training under Anton Goubau and later moved to England, where he briefly worked with Sir Peter Lely and was influenced by Anthony van Dyck. Political tensions drove him back to Paris, where his career flourished. He became a member of the prestigious Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in 1686 and later served as its director. Largillière’s style is characterized by vivid colors, rich textures, and lifelike detail that captured the grandeur and personality of his subjects. He painted royalty, nobility, and bourgeois patrons with equal finesse, earning commissions from Louis XIV and other high-ranking figures. His works are often considered a bridge between the grandiosity of the Baroque and the grace of the Rococo. Notable paintings include Portrait of a Lady as Pomona and Portrait of Charles Le Brun. Today, Largillière is recognized as one of the most important portraitists of 17th- and 18th-century France, with works housed in major museums such as the Louvre and the National Gallery.