Portrait of Hubert Languet (1518-1581)

Frans Pourbus the Elder 1545 - 1581

Summary

This is a portrait of the French lawyer and diplomat Hubert Languet (1518-1581), who was a famous apologist for the rights of Protestants to religious and civil liberty. Expelled from France for his beliefs, he settled for a while at Wittenberg, after which he entered the service of the Elector of Saxony (1559-77). It was during this period that he became an advisor to William of Orange (also known as William the Silent or William the Taciturn). He is credited as the joint author, with Philippe de Mornay, of the Vindiciae Contra Tyrannos (A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants), which was presented on 13 December 1580 to the Dutch Staten General. Pourbus became a master in the Antwerp Guild of St Luke in 1569/70. He was a highly versatile artist, who produced religious and history paintings, including Christ Among the Doctors 1571 (the Vigilus Altarpiece, Ghent Cathedral, still in situ), as well as landscapes and around twenty portraits.