Oil on canvas representing the portrait of a gentleman in full length posing in front of a landscape, in its gilded wooden frame. French school of the end of the first half of the XIXth century, circa 1840-1850.
Our painting shows an elegant young man, standing in a three-quarter view, his left hand casually placed in his trouser pocket. The artist chose to place him in a larger landscape in the background in order to reflect all the prerogatives of the main protagonist. This detail also allows him to go beyond the art of human representation to prove his talent in rendering nature, the shrubs in the foreground but also the orange shades tending towards the gray of the sky overlooking the city. The latter brings, thanks to the lines, a greater perspective and thus depth to the canvas in general.
In addition to the undeniable quality of execution of this work, the precision it demonstrates in the multitude of details that make up our man's wardrobe, informs us specifically about the period, namely the years 1840-1850, but also about the refinement of the character who is particularly aware of the fashions that are contemporary to him. These evolve constantly and sometimes drastically throughout the XIXth century. We find certain essential pieces of the wardrobe, like the suit - which at this pivotal time differentiated itself from the frock coat to gradually form the tailcoat that we still know today -, the waistcoat or the white tie around the neck and hiding the shirt. Major importance is given to accessories, from gloves to the cane to the iconic top hat. Another subtlety stands out: the gray tight pants reveal through the profile of the right foot, the underfoot holding his black shoes.
This unknown portrait therefore gives us a true historical testimony on the etiquette of his time.
Dimensions:
- height with frame: 70.5 cm
- height at sight: 53.5 cm
- width with frame: 60 cm
- width at sight: 44 cm
