Alexander Roslin

After training as a naval draughtsman in Sweden, he apprenticed under court painter Georg Engelhard Schröder, where he was strongly influenced by French masters like Rigaud and Largillière.¹

Known for blending Rococo elegance with Classicist tendencies, his masterful rendering of textures like satin and jewels led to the saying, 'Satin, skin? Go to Roslin.'¹

Upon moving to Paris in 1752, he became a protégé of François Boucher and rapidly rose to fame, eventually becoming a member of the French Art Academy despite being a foreigner.¹

His early work featured bright, cool colors influenced by Nattier and Rigaud, but from the 1760s he adopted bolder coloring, balancing psychological insight with ornate decoration.¹

In 1765, he won a competition against Jean-Baptiste Greuze with his portrait of the Duke of La Rochefoucauld and his family, solidifying his reputation among the French aristocracy.¹

A double portrait of Roslin and his wife features a gold box from their friend Peill and the inscription 'Loin et près' (Far away yet close), symbolizing their deep friendship.¹

His masterpiece 'The Lady with the Veil' depicts his wife, the pastel painter Marie-Suzanne Giroust. Her appearance in Bolognese fashion was highly praised by the philosopher Denis Diderot.¹

Often called 'Roslin the Swede,' he received the exceptional honor of a royal pension and a free apartment in the Louvre in 1771, despite his foreign origin.¹

During a two-year stay in Russia starting in 1775, he painted Empress Catherine II. Although she tried to persuade him to stay in her service, he declined and returned to Paris.¹

Having survived the French Revolution despite losing many patrons, he was considered the wealthiest artist in Paris at the time of his death in 1793.¹