Pastel Portrait Of A Man, Circa 1780

Portrait of a man in profile – Pastel, Louis XVI period, late 18th century
On paper, in very good condition.
Unframed

Portrait of a man in profile, executed in pastel in the late 18th century, circa 1780–1790.
The subject, dressed in a dark suit and a white cravat, has powdered hair styled in curls at the temples and tied at the back with a black ribbon, in accordance with men’s fashion in the final years of the Ancien Régime.
The profile, of great finesse, stands out against a bluish-gray background. The precise rendering of the face, the delicate shades of the skin, and the beautiful rendering of the hair are evidence of the skill of a masterful French pastel artist.
The depiction of the subject strictly in profile, almost in the manner of a medallion, is entirely in keeping with the neoclassical spirit of the era.