Artwork
Charles Couperin and the second daughter of Claude Lefebvre
Charles Couperin and the second daughter of Claude Lefebvre is an oil painting by the French Classical Baroque artist Claude Lefèbvre. It dates from 1667 and is held in the collection of the Palace of Versailles.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The two figures are shown together in an intimate domestic arrangement that combines portraiture with musical iconography.
The painting is a group portrait depicting Charles Couperin, identified as a man and musician, alongside a young girl described as the second daughter of the artist Claude Lefèbvre. The two figures are shown together in an intimate domestic arrangement that combines portraiture with musical iconography.
Musical symbolism is central to the composition: an organ and a pipe organ appear as attributes, situating Charles Couperin within his professional identity as a musician. A jewel and sheet music are also depicted, with the sheet music reinforcing the theme of musical performance and learning. The inclusion of the artist's daughter alongside the musician suggests a personal or familial connection, lending the work a commemorative dimension beyond a conventional portrait.
Together, these elements frame the painting as a tribute to both Couperin's musical vocation and the Lefèbvre family's personal milieu, blending professional identity with private sentiment.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 127 cm in height by 96 cm in width. As a group portrait from 1667, it depicts Charles Couperin alongside a young girl, identified as the artist's second daughter, amid attributes including an organ, sheet music, a pipe organ, and a bijou. The composition integrates these musical and personal elements into a single formal arrangement typical of mid-17th-century French portraiture. No information on the work's condition or detailed handling is provided in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The painting is held by the Palace of Versailles, specifically within the Museum of the History of France. In the French national museum collections database (Joconde), the work is identified by the inventory reference 000PE007821 and is located at the national museum of the châteaux of Versailles and Trianon. The Wikidata entry confirms its presence in the Museum of the History of France at Versailles.
No specific exhibition history is recorded in the provided sources.
Overview
Claude Lefèbvre’s 1667 oil portrait presents Charles Couperin alongside the artist’s second daughter. Executed in the late‑seventeenth‑century French court style, the work is part of the collection at the Palace of Versailles.
Context
During the 1660s, French portraiture often highlighted the social standing of artisans and their families. Couperin, a noted jeweler, and his association with Lefèbvre reflect the period’s intertwining of craft, patronage, and courtly aesthetics.
Artist & collection
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