Maurice Quentin de La Tour, portrait painter at the king's court and figure of the 50-franc notes, master of pastel in the Age of Enlightenment

Maurice Quentin de La Tour was born on September 5, 1704 in Saint-Quentin, in Aisne. He was born into a family of dignitaries and very quickly, his predisposition to drawing led him to a career as a portrait painter at the king's court. He was very successful during his lifetime and remains the absolute reference for the pastel technique. That's the Sunday story.