Ceremonial portrait, gentleman with red heels in his cabinet - Louis XV period - 90cm x 75.5cm

French school from the mid-18th century, ceremonial portrait of a gentleman in his library. Richly dressed in a silk coat and a taffeta dressing gown, our erudite and elegant aristocrat poses while presenting his passion for science and the arts: leaning against a gilded wood console, he poses under a velvet canopy . In the background we recognize the decor of a library structured with columns, with shelves of books and a terrestrial globe. On the embroidered tablecloth covering the console is casually placed a drawing of a woman in red chalk. On the left a very fine Rocaille style gilded wood stool. Oil on canvas, presented in a rich Rocaille style frame in wood and stucco gilded with gold leaf. 18th century period, circa 1750 - 1760 for the canvas, 19th century for the frame.

Our aristocrat is certainly of high birth if we judge by the red heels of his shoes, which make him a man of the Court: the dictionary of the French Academy tells us that "Red heels were once said to a man of the Court who had red heels on his shoes, which was a mark of nobility. The red heels of Versailles It is known today as someone who has pretensions. with elegance, with beautiful manners. He is very red heel. Red heel manners.

Superb portrait, perfect illustration of what Talleyrand called the sweetness of life under the Ancien Régime. In addition to its qualities of illustration of the refinement of high society at that time, our painting is distinguished by the high quality of its execution: scrupulous painting in the details of the furniture and decor, dazzling colors, no fault of proportions, delicate and perfectly rendered complexion. Unfortunately, at this stage of our research, we have not found an attribution for the painter.

Excellent condition: painting cleaned and very well preserved. It was previously re-canvased. The matte and shiny gilding of the 19th century frame is also superb.

Frame: 90cm x 75.5cm
Canvas: 78.2cm x 62.1cm

Ref: 9FCL2WHJUN