Portrait Of A Gentleman In A Directoire-style Frock Coat, Early 19th Century, Empire Period

Academic portrait of a gentleman in a frock coat, formerly attributed to Louis Augustin Belle (1757-1841), circa 1810. This portrait is comparable to the artistic work of the painter Louis-Léopold Boilly and his son, Julien. The sitter is cropped at mid-length, with a slight rotation of the torso and a three-quarter tilt of the head. The light emphasizes the facial features, which stand out against a neutral gray background. The man sports a Titus-style hairstyle, which was fashionable between the French Revolution and the First Empire. This hairstyle had the advantage of covering the forehead with a play of flowing curls that framed the face. This anonymous portrait can be compared to an engraving after the work of Julien-Léopold Boilly, which immortalized the portrait of the academician Joseph-François Michaud. There are certain similarities in the pose, the expressiveness of the sitter, and the detachment of the figure against a neutral background. Provenance: formerly in the collection of the painter Pierre Eugène Jules Maison (1814-1879). Condition: relined, the portrait restored in the studio. The frame, while not original, is the correct size for the portrait and has some losses and has been repainted. It is keyed. The dimensions given refer to the canvas.