Portrait of Molière – Charles-Antoine Coypel (circa 1730)

🖼️ Portrait of Molière – Charles-Antoine Coypel (circa 1730)
Hand-painted reproduction – By Alpha Reproduction

Molière seen by a theater painter: pictorial tribute to the master of French comedy

Created around 1730 by Charles-Antoine Coypel, official painter to the king and author of numerous theater decorations, this Portrait of Molière is a posthumous representation, both idealized and theatricalized, of the most famous French playwright.
This painting reflects the admiring gaze that an 18th-century artist casts on a 17th-century legend, blending realism, a sense of staging, and academic elegance.

A noble and timeless image of the actor-writer

The face of the French spirit, between irony and majesty

Molière is depicted in bust, three-quarters view, dressed in a dark coat with red lapels, wearing his long, curly hair, characteristic of Louis XIV fashion. His gaze is lively, slightly turned upwards, and his expression suggests a sharp intelligence mixed with a form of benevolent seriousness.

Coypel does not seek to create a naturalistic portrait: he creates an emblematic image of the playwright, as if he were a hero of letters, a living monument. He combines in this portrait intellectual prestige, human warmth, and the elegance of a man of the stage.

The background is often neutral or decorated with curtains or columns, to evoke the theatrical and academic world in which Molière operated and to which he now belongs forever.

A posthumous work, but vibrant with respect and admiration

This portrait was made nearly 60 years after the death of Molière (1673), at a time when his work was firmly established in the French repertoire, and when the Comédie-Française was cementing his legend.
Charles-Antoine Coypel, himself a playwright, here depicts an idealized Molière, as he is seen through the prism of posterity: the embodiment of the French spirit, critical theater, and classical elegance.

Hand-painted reproduction – By Alpha Reproduction

A noble and elegant portrait, carefully recreated

At Alpha Reproduction, this work is entirely hand-painted in oil on canvas, with particular attention paid to:

• The richness of the garment's textures

• The facial modeling, both human and masterful

• The soft and academic light, which gives relief and nobility

• The theatrical or neutral background, which enhances the staging

📜 Certificate of authenticity provided
📐 Customizable formats – stretched or rolled canvas
🖼️ Classic framing, Louis XV gold or simple on request

An ideal portrait for enthusiasts of classical literature, theater, and French heritage

This painting fits perfectly into a scholar's library, a literary salon, a gallery of historical portraits, or a professor of literature's office. It will captivate Molière enthusiasts, theater lovers, and collectors of academic and cultural art.

Order your reproduction of Charles-Antoine Coypel – Portrait of Molière today

With this hand-painted reproduction, you introduce into your interior the noble, elegant, and immortal image of the father of French comedy.
At Alpha Reproduction, we recreate heritage masterpieces with respect, pictorial excellence, and historical fidelity.

🎨 Oil on canvas – 🖌️ Hand-painted – 📦 International shipping guaranteed

Order now a portrait of spirit, style, and history.