Portrait of Francois , duc d'Alençon [Duke of Anjou]

The figure depicted is François, a French nobleman who held the titles of duc d'Alençon and later Duke of Anjou, positions that linked him to the royal lineage. His poised stance and dignified expression reflect the conventions of aristocratic portraiture, intended to affirm his status, lineage, and the refined taste associated with the courtly elite of his era.

Pieter van Gunst translated van der Werff's oil painting into a detailed image, preserving the delicate modeling of fabrics, the subtle chiaroscuro, and the intricate rendering of the interior décor. The copy demonstrates van Gunst’s skill in reproducing the smooth, polished surface and graceful lines characteristic of van der Werff’s late Baroque classicism, while adapting the work to a graphic medium.

The original portrait was painted by Adriaan van der Werff (1659–1722), a prominent Dutch painter known for his refined, idealized figures. Van Gunst’s copy, created between 1700 and 1730, indicates the continued demand for van der Werff’s compositions among collectors. The image has been preserved as part of a collection documenting the diffusion of Dutch court portraiture across Europe.