Count Potocki is an equestrian portrait of a Polish nobleman by the French neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David. Completed in 1781, the painting measures 304 x 218 cm and showcases David’s impressive neoclassical style. It was exhibited alongside Belisarius Begging for Alms at the Paris Salon in that same year, cementing its place amongst David’s most distinguished works.
The Count Potocki portrait was commissioned as a lucrative project for David, with work beginning in Rome and completed in Paris. The patron, politician, and writer Stanis?aw Kostka Potocki is depicted atop a rearing horse, symbolizing his military expertise and political power.
Jacques-Louis David became one of the principal artists during the late 18th-century Neoclassical reaction against the Rococo style due to his huge canvases on classical themes. The Portrait of Count Stanislas Potocki holds significant value within David’s oeuvre based on its grandeur and cultural significance.
In conclusion, Count Potocki remains one of Jacques-Louis David’s most celebrated works that captures both neoclassical artistry as well as societal power dynamics during that era.
