Charles, Marquis de la Vieuville served as Surintendant des Finances in France but fell into disfavour after plotting against Richelieu and fled to Brussels where he remained in exile until Richelieu’s death in 1642. He was subsequently permitted to return to France and reinstated as Surintendant by Cardinal Mazarin.

This is probably a contemporary copy of a portrait painted by Van Dyck during the Marquis’s exile in Brussels. The present whereabouts of the original are unknown. The sitter wears a blue cloak embroidered with the cross of the Order of the Saint-Esprit and the badge of the Order hangs on a blue ribbon across his body. His white silk doublet is decorated with pink silk ribbon points at the waist, and his blue silk breeches are worn with red stockings and white latchet fastening shoes with enormous ribbon shoe roses.