Primary sourcePainting1735
Portrait of Voltaire
Maurice Quentin de La Tour · 1735
A pastel portrait of Voltaire in his forties by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, made during his years at Cirey.
A lifetime pastel portrait of Voltaire made during his productive years at Cirey, widely reproduced in engravings.
About this source
What it is
This pastel portrait, made in 1735 by Maurice Quentin de La Tour, shows Voltaire's face in close view. It is held by the Nationalmuseum.
Why it matters
Created during Voltaire's time at Cirey, a period of intense writing and study, this lifetime likeness became widely known through engraved copies, shaping how people across Europe pictured him. Pastel portraits by La Tour were valued for their directness and ability to capture a sitter's personality.
Look closer
- What expression does the artist capture, and what might it suggest about Voltaire's character?
- Why might this portrait have been widely copied as an engraving?
- How does this close, informal view differ from more formal portraits of Voltaire?
This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Voltaire on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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