Accession Number
1999/1.92

Title
Portrait of a Gentleman

Artist(s)
Maurice-Quentin de La Tour

Object Creation Date
circa 1750

Medium & Support
pastel on paper

Dimensions
31 1/2 in. x 25 in. x 5 in. ( 80.01 cm x 63.5 cm x 12.7 cm )

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the W. Hawkins Ferry Fund

Label copy
March 28, 2009
De La Tour was considered the consummate master of the pastel medium during an era when pastel portraits rivaled those executed in oils, both in terms of the desirability for collectors and patrons and the technical attentions lavished on them by their makers. His penetrating portrayals of the French royalty and aristocracy were as developed and complete as oil paintings—and as highly sought after. His sitters included Madame de Pompadour, the official mistress of Louis XV, herself an accomplished artist. This bust-length portrait of an unknown sitter shares the informality of the Perronneau portrait of Laurent Cars hanging nearby. The image of the man, turning to engage the viewer directly, is silhouetted against an undifferentiated background, allowing the eye to focus on the delicately rendered features of the sitter.
As distinguished as is the pastel itself, the work gains additional value for being in its original frame. French frame making of the eighteenth century is so highly regarded for its craftsmanship and design that this frame can be deemed a museum-quality work of it in its own right.

Subject matter
De La Tour was considered the consummate master of the pastel medium. His penetrating portrayals of the aristocracy and royalty were as developed and complete as oil paintings—and as sought after. His sitters included Madame de Pompadour, the official mistress of Louis XV, herself an accomplished artist. This bust-length portrait of an unknown sitter shares the informality of the Perronneau portrait of Laurent Cars.

Physical Description
A middle age man in a powdered wig is shown in a bust-length portrait against an undifferentiated blue background. In addition to the wig, he is wearing a mauve silk coat, orange waistcoat, and ruffled white shirt. His shoulders are in profile to the viewer, but the sitter turns his head and looks in the direction of the viewer. The expression is one of great intelligence, wit and even humor.

Primary Object Classification
Drawing

Primary Object Type
portrait

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
men (male humans)
portraits