The Man Who Posed as Richelieu

The title of Robert Henri's portrait of an unnamed Paris model underscores the artifice of posing by referring to two separate personalities: the historical persona of the ruthless French cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis Richelieu (1585-1642) and that of the anonymous sitter, whose identity remains a mystery.

• Artist: Robert Henri
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dates: 1898
• Dimensions: 31 15/16 x 25 11/16 in. (81.2 x 65.3 cm)
• Signature: Unsigned
• Inscriptions: Inscribed verso, upper right corner, in black paint: "88A/2; on top stretcher bar: "RICHELIEU"; inscribed in pencil, top stretcher bar: "The Man Who Posed as Richelieu"
• Collection: American Art
• Museum Location: Brooklyn Museum, BMA, 5Q12-LUCE, Unit 16, SCR I
• Accession Number: 63.46
• Image: 63.46_bw.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 0,