Brief Biography-Hyacinthe Rigaud was born at Perpignan in 1663. His initial instruction was from his father, who unfortunately died when he was eight. He later studied under Antoine Ranc in Montpellier, and in 1681 he moved to Paris, where he won the Prix de Rome but was advised not to avail of it by Charles Le Brun and to concentrate on portraiture. Sir Anthony Van Dyck influenced him in particular, and he achieved considerable success as a fashionable portraitist. Rembrandt also influenced some of his works; he had seven of his paintings. In 1702 Rigaud was an assistant professor and in 1710, a professor. Foreign Princes sat for him, and he became the principal painter to Louis XIV. Louis XV bestowed on him the order of Saint Michael and a large pension in 1727. His portraits' only criticism was regarding his draperies, stating that they were set too unnaturally erratic and distracted from the sitter.