Boy in a Dark Blue Coat with a White Collar
Louis François Aubry
Aubry portrayed a boy of around four or five years of age in a dark blue coat with three rows of small gold buttons and a white collar edged with lace. His upper body is turned slightly towards the right, with his head facing the observer. The background consists of a pale blue sky which gradually blends into a very light orange colour towards the lower edge of the picture, giving the portrait a cheerful atmosphere. The soft light also influences the overall appearance of the boy, whose features appear delicate, soft, and almost a little blurred. His hair falls in short, bouncy curls, and his big blue
eyes are surrounded by a set of thick pale lashes.
With this miniature, too, Aubry followed the example of the works of his teacher and role model, Jean-Baptiste Isabey, whose delicate portraits of children found great appreciation.1
J. S. O.