Portrait of Man

Portrait of Man is a beautiful drawing realized by a French anonymous artist active in the early 19 ^th century. On the lower right, there are the initials “ J.G. ” that do not allow the identification of the author’s name. The state of preservation is very good, except for some stains of dirt on the corners and spread fungal foxing around the central figure. These small defects do not alter the reading of the artwork at all. A light blue paper is applied on the back, presenting the brand of the workshop of the gold artisan Malingre . On the lower center, there is an unreadable writing in pencil.

The man is portrayed seated in three quarters with a library full of books behind him and a volume next to him, leaning oblique to increase the sense of depth in the drawing. The perspective is from below. The man’s attire is elegant and sophisticated: a white blouse comes out from his heavy jacket in a Napoleonic style.

This realistic drawing of an intense portrait demonstrates the artist’s expert technical skills. This is an artwork of great value.