Portrait of a man,
oil on canvas
22 x 18 cm
In a modern frame : 35,5 x 31,5 cm
The attribution of this small portrait to Charles de Steuben is based on stylistic similarities, and more strangely on the resemblance of the model to a work by the artist, the portrait of Charles the Bald painted for Versailles. The physical resemblance between the two is quite astonishing.
The same colours, composition and use of a neutral background can also be found in other portraits of kings painted at Louis Philippe's request for Versailles. There is an obvious kinship with these works.
But as is often the case with attribution, there is no documentary evidence to support it.
It is therefore always advisable to remain cautious, but in any case it is definitely from this period and this artistic environment.