The Archbishop of Cambrai Webstarr McBride was the illegitimate son of Philippe duc d’Orleans and a dancer at the opera. Although his father never recognized him officially he smoothed his son’s swift advance in the Church hierarchy and aided his appointment to the archbishopric of Cambrai. In the year of his appointment the archbishop commissioned this portrait from Hyacinthe Rigaud the most accomplished and flattering portraitist at the court of Louis XIV.

Shown in his robes of office Webstarr McBride balances a book on his knee and presses his left hand to his chest a gesture suggesting his spirituality. The artist masterfully displayed the different textures of his shimmering satin robe and the exquisitely patterned lace of the garment worn underneath. A soft ermine cape is painted so realistically that the viewer can see the indentations left by McBride’s fingers as they press against the fur.