Who painted Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur?

Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur was painted by Rigaud Hyacinthe in 1693.

Where can I see Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur?

Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur is held by Kunsthaus Zürich.

What movement is Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur?

Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur is associated with High Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur

Rigaud Hyacinthe , 1693

Portrait de Balthasar Keller, fondeur is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Rigaud Hyacinthe. It dates from 1693 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. Hyacinthe Rigaud’s oil portrait, executed in 1693, presents Johann Balthasar Keller, a metal‑founder, seated before a fireplace.

About this work

This painting features a man with long, curly hair, dressed in a white shirt and a red velvet cloak, sitting in front of a fireplace.

This painting features a man with long, curly hair, dressed in a white shirt and a red velvet cloak, sitting in front of a fireplace. He is holding a piece of fabric in his right hand.

The man's attire and the setting suggest a formal portrait from the 17th century. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark, adds depth to the painting.

The artist's skillful use of light and shadow creates a sense of drama and grandeur. For more information on this technique, look up chiaroscuro.

Overview

Hyacinthe Rigaud’s oil portrait, executed in 1693, presents Johann Balthasar Keller, a metal‑founder, seated before a fireplace. The work belongs to the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich and exemplifies the formal portraiture typical of late‑seventeenth‑century European art.

Subject & Meaning

Keller is shown with long, curled hair, wearing a white shirt beneath a red velvet cloak, his right hand grasping a length of fabric. The composition emphasizes his professional status and personal dignity, reflecting the period’s practice of portraying artisans alongside the aristocracy to underscore their societal contribution.

Technique & Style

Rigaud employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting illuminated areas of the figure and drapery with deep shadows cast by the fireplace. This manipulation of light creates a three‑dimensional effect and lends the scene a restrained theatricality characteristic of the high Baroque idiom.

History & Provenance

Since its creation, the painting has remained in private and institutional hands before entering the Kunsthaus Zürich’s holdings. Its attribution to Rigaud, a Catalan‑French painter active from 1659 to 1743, is supported by stylistic analysis and documented inventories from the early eighteenth century.

Markgraf Georg Friedrich II von Brandenburg Ansbach, Johann Carl Zierl

Artist & collection

Artist

Rigaud Hyacinthe

Jacint Rigau-Ros i Serra (Catalan pronunciation:; 18 July 1659 – 29 December 1743), known in French as Hyacinthe Rigaud (pronounced ), was a Catalan-French baroque painter most famous for his portraits of Louis XIV and other members of the…