Noël Coypel : Peintre Du Roi

Exhibition at the Château de Versailles, 26 September 2023 - 28 January 2024

Noël Coypel (1628-1707) was a major artistic figure of the 17th century and the founder of a dynasty of painters, yet he remains little known to the general public. Despite his many achievements, Noël Coypel's name is now eclipsed by that of his sons, Antoine and Noël-Nicolas, and his grandson Charles-Antoine.

Coypel nevertheless excelled in several fields: ceilings, easel paintings, graphic arts and tapestry cartoons. After initial training in Orléans, he returned to Paris and worked on the sets for Luigi Rossi's opera Orfeo. Spotted by the painter Charles Errard, then director of the royal decorations at the Louvre, large-scale decorations became an essential part of his work. Some of these ensembles have now disappeared - from the Louvre, Fontainebleau and the Palais-Royal, and even from the first Versailles - while others are known only through a few paintings.

This catalogue of the first exhibition devoted to Noël Coypel features a selection of 90 works by the artist (paintings, drawings, tapestry cartoons, etc.), highlighting his talents as a colourist and draughtsman.