Portrait of Charles Messier, painted by Desportes in March, 1771 when Messier was 40 years old. Charles Messier commented on the back of the portrait, "This portrait is a good likeness, except that I appear younger than I am, and I have been given a better expression than I have."

The image here was created from a photo by Dr. Owen Gingerich. The original painting is in private possession; at the time the photo was made it was owned by Bernard Roy of Nantes, France.

Last Modification: August 28, 2000