Tocqué was born in Paris. He trained with Nattier, one of whose daughters he married, and had a successful career in Paris as a portrait painter.
He was influenced by Rigaud and Largillierre. In 1756-8 he travelled to St Petersburg and in 1758-9 visited Copenhagen.
Louis Tocqué
1696 - 1772
Paintings by Louis Tocqué
We do not know the identity of the jovial-looking man in this half-length portrait, but Tocqué captures both his appearance and his psychology. He rests one hand on the back of a chair and the other on his hip as he turns to observe us with a smile.The elaborate gold brocade waistcoat is a visual...
Not on display
The unidentified young woman in this portrait turns to look at us with a slight smile. Her youth is emphasised by her pale downy flesh and the bloom on her cheeks, which echoes the delicate pinks in some of the flowers with which she is garlanded.Tocqué uses areas of textured thick white paint, k...
Not on display
After Louis Tocqué
This painting is an eighteenth-century copy of a portrait of Jean Michel de Grilleau (1710–1769). The original still belongs to his descendants in France.Jean Michel de Grilleau was the son of an influential merchant, banker and consul in Nantes. He spent his first working years in France and Spa...
Not on display