RANC, Jean - b. 1674 Montpellier, d. 1735 Madrid - WGA

RANC, Jean

(b. 1674 Montpellier, d. 1735 Madrid)

French painter. The son of a painter of modest ability, Jean Ranc was trained in Paris by Hyacinthe Rigaud, the principal portraitist at the Court of Louis XIV. Rigaud himself had been a pupil of Jean’s father, Antoine Ranc, and in 1715 Jean had married a niece of his master. Rigaud’s flamboyant style proved to be a major influence on the portrait painters of the 18th century, and Ranc was his most competent pupil and closest disciple. He was received as an Academician in 1703 with portraits of Nicolas de Plattenberg and François Verdier, both now in Versailles, and was listed in the records of the Academy as a portraitist until his death.

Much in demand with the Court, he painted portraits of Louis XIV and each of his grandsons, Louis XV, the Regent Orléans and other leading figures. Philippe of France, Duke of Anjou, who had become King of Spain in 1700, invited a number of artists and artisans to Spain to began a process of reconstruction that was to continue throughout the century. In 1722 Jean Ranc was invited to Madrid to take up the post of First Painter, and as such was placed in charge of all the major artistic projects of the Crown. He painted several portraits of the King and his children and also his second wife Elizabeth Farnese and her family.

He died at Madrid in 1735 when he was succeeded in his post by another Frenchman, Louis Michel Van Loo.

Ferdinand VI as Prince

The Montpellier-born artist developed in Madrid a successful, life-long career as a portrait painter. Ranc’s training as a portrait painter is certainly apparent in the delicate treatment of the faces of his subjects and, more so, in the exquisitely rendered fabrics. He correctly interpreted the portraits of Philip V and members of his family such as Prince Ferdinand.

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Vertumnus and Pomona

Pomona, the classical goddess of fruit, and Vertumnus, the god of transformation, are the main figures in an episode in Ovid’s Metamorphoses which is depicted here. Vertumnus enters Pomona’s grove in order to convince her of his love. Because she had always run away on previous occasions when he came, he has cunningly dressed as an old woman on this occasion. By telling her about the allegory of the grapevine and elm, he is able to convince her of the importance of togetherness, for the grapevine needs something it can climb up and the elm, when considered on its own, is useless. Persuaded, Pomona gives in to love and her innermost longings and they become a couple.

The work was painted by the Montpellier-born artist shortly before his departure for Spain, where he developed a successful, life-long career as a portrait painter. Ranc’s training as a portrait painter is certainly apparent in the delicate treatment of the faces of his subjects and, more so, in the exquisitely rendered fabrics. The painting is also significant for the manner in which it presents a mythological narrative and its moral subtext in an entirely contemporary manner, as indicated in Pomona’s radiant, silky dress and parasol.

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