Portrait Of A Man In A Red Jacket

The pastel technique is ideal for capturing the subject in the moment. It is therefore not insignificant that it was prized by some of the greatest portraitists of the 18th century, who saw it as a way of creating soft and velvety effects and of capturing the nuances of the face or clothing. The portrait we are presenting was certainly composed in the 1770s. The gaze is detached. The hair, powdered and curled on the side, is swept back and tied with a black ponytail. The clothing, from the silk jabot extending into fine white lace to the blue waistcoat and red jacket, bears witness to the aristocratic elegance of this period. Our portrait was listed by Mr Neil Jeffares in his ''Dictionary of pastellists before 1800'' (ref. J.9.4045). Details: - Pastel on paper mounted on canvas and mounted on a stretcher. - Sold framed, period frame.