Attributed to Maurice-Quentin de La Tour (Saint Quentin 1704-1788)

François-Augustin de Paradis de Moncrif (1687-1770) was a writer, poet and man of fashion, who served as royal historiographer to King Louis XV of France. The present pastel is a version of La Tour's portrait of the sitter which was exhibited at the Salon of 1748, which is also recorded in an oil replica at Versailles, bearing the date 1733 (C. Constans, Musée national du Château du Versailles: Les Peintures, Paris, 1995, I, no. 3047). As Moncrif was a personal friend of the artist's, he may well have come back to La Tour to request replicas of the portrait to present to other friends and associates.

We are grateful for Neil Jeffares for his assistance in preparing this catalogue note.