French Romantic School, Circa 1840 Portrait Of A Young Man, Charcoal On Paper

French Romantic school, circa 1840
Portrait of a young man, 
charcoal on paper
22.5 x 17 cm
In good condition, however, there is a restoration of the paper in the upper right-hand quarter, which is barely visible.
Framed : 39 x 34 cm

This fine portrait of a very young man is typical of the Romantic period and the psychological and stylistic approach exemplified by Louis Boilly (1767-1845).
This work is very close to that artist's, but what is even more interesting is the quality of the Romantic portrait, with its emphasis on feeling.
This young man seems self-confident, his gaze fixed on the ambitions to which he aspires. This is the great strength of this small portrait, its ability to evoke the psychology and (future) history of its sitter. We can imagine them being fascinating at this point in any case. 
It is here that the artist's mastery of style and technique fully serves this psychological approach, typical of Romanticism.