The work that earned him admission to the Académie was a large Portrait of Nicolas Mignard, painting an Annunciation (Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon).

[3] It shows his father sitting in his studio in front of a painting he is working on and holding his palette and brushes.

He had learned from his uncle Pierre the art of court portrait painting, characterised by its emphasis on elegant poses and elaborately worked out details of lavish costumes.

[8] Paul Mignard was also connected to a series of portraits of beauties executed for the Duke of Savoy in the mid 1670s.

In this publication Mignard sang the praises of the art of the leading French painter of the 17th century, Charles Le Brun, who was a friend of his father but a rival of his uncle.

[9] Not long before the Ode was published, Paul’s uncle Pierre and Le Brun had engaged in a bitter exchange of accusations.