Jacques Blanchard
Paris, 1600-1638
Oil on canvas.
Traditionally called the �French Titian,� though really more indebted to the Venetian master Veronese, Blanchard infused relatively simple scenes and figure types based on classical models with a soft luminosity, tactile paint handling, and sensuous appeal. The personification of Charity, which offered a noble pretext for rendering images of alluring female beauty, was a favorite of Blanchard and his patrons. This is one of several interpretations of the subject by the artist and one of six known versions of this particular composition.