Ferdinand Guillemardet

Ferdinand Guillemardet (1765-1808) was a doctor from Burgundy and a member of the French Convention, who arrived in Spain in 1798 to occupy the post of French Ambassador, which he held until 1800.

He is shown here seated in a chair, his legs crossed in a somewhat forced pose, his body turned to look out at the viewer, his left hand resting on his leg. His prominent aquiline nose dominates his face, which looks out at us with an intelligent, lively gaze. Behind him, a table covered with a golden cloth holds a two-cornered hat and writing materials. The colours of the French flag are unmissable, both in the sash and in the rosette and feathers of the hat.

On this occasion, Goya used a greenish grey background which, with its unusual tonal graduation (much brighter directly behind the sitter and at the very bottom), lends the composition a sense of depth.

This was the first of Goya's portraits to enter the collection of the Louvre and, according to the artist himself, was one of his favourite works.