Hyacinthe Rigaud

Born Jacint Rigau-Ros i Serra in Perpignan in 1659, just months before his hometown became part of France, Hyacinthe Rigaud rose to become one of the most celebrated portrait painters of the Baroque era. His family had a long history of artists in Roussillon, and though his father was a tailor, Rigaud quickly showed a talent for painting. He began his artistic training in Montpellier under Antoine Ranc around 1671, before moving to Lyon four years later. It was in these citi…