18th Century French Portrait by Charles Baziray - Parliament of Brittany Magistrate
Authentic 1747 oil painting depicting an unidentified magistrate and adviser to the Parliament of Brittany. This original baroque portrait showcases traditional French aristocratic attire with white-gloved hands holding a black hat, emphasizing the subject's high status and authority.
Under France's Old Regime, parliaments handled public order, royal legislation, finances, and served as presidial courts. This 18th century French art piece represents the noble class under parliamentary jurisdiction.
This oil on canvas painting has undergone professional restoration. During the cleaning process, the artist’s signature and date were discovered on the reverse: "Baziray pinxit 1747". Its magnificent gilded wood and plaster frame (French Regency-Louis XV period) has also been restored.
Charles Baziray was a French portrait painter, student or follower of Nicolas de Largillière. Born in Paris around 1690, he worked as a painter from 1707 to 1713 at the Manufacture Royale des Gobelins in Paris, under the direction of Pierre Mathieu, the King’s painter. From 1718, Baziray moved to Brittany, notably to Nantes, Rennes and Saint-Malo, where he enjoyed a certain degree of notoriety among the high society of the region and was commissioned numerous portraits. Married in 1726 to Anne Penet, daughter of the Lord of La Pallière, Baziray died on January 29, 1757 at the Château de Rosanbo, property of the wealthy and influential Le Peletier family. He is buried in the Lanvellec parish church, near the castle.
A museum-quality addition to any French art collection.
Artist: Charles Baziray (h.1690-1757).
Signed and dated on back “Baziray Pinxit 1747”.
Medium: Oil on canvas.
Condition: Very good condition.
Dimensions: 82,5 x 65 cm. / 32 ½ x 25 ½ in.
Frame: 102 x 86 cm. / 40 x 34 in. Ornate gilded wood and plaster frame, in excellent condition.
Origin: France.
