Philippe de Champaigne was born in Brussels. He moved to Paris in 1621, becoming friends with the great Classical painter Nicolas Poussin, with whom he worked on the decoration of the Luxembourg Palace for Queen Marie de’ Medici. This provided him with the opportunity to get to know the Prime Minister, Richelieu, painting eleven portraits of him in all, dressed in his cardinal’s robes. Despite their seeming austerity, his portraits possess great psychological insight, while his religious compositions express a profound spirituality.
Philippe de Champaigne was born in Brussels. He moved to Paris in 1621, becoming friends with the great Classical painter Nicolas Poussin, with whom he worked on the decoration of the Luxembourg Palace for Queen Marie de’ Medici. This provided him with the opportunity to get to know the Prime Minister, Richelieu, painting eleven portraits of him in all, dressed in his cardinal’s robes. Despite their seeming austerity, his portraits possess great psychological insight, while his religious compositions express a profound spirituality.
