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The picture depicts the scene of the Duke of Saint Aignan investing Girolamo Vaini, Prince of Cantalupe and Duke of Selci, with the Insignia of a Knight of the Holy Spirit.
Subleyras had made the acquaintance of the Duke of Saint Aignan soon after the latter's appointment as Ambassador to the Pope in 1731. The Duke commissioned him to paint the present scene, which required the skills of a portraitist who was also thoroughly familiar with the conventions of historical subject painting. There are three complete versions of the composition of which this finished composition sketch is the first.
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