Johann Julius Heinsius1 portrayed this gentleman in a dark brown coat in front of a blue-grey background. The sitter’s clothes are painted in broad, competent brushstrokes without missing a detail; his face is painted in a dotted technique which is hardly ever found in French miniatures in this form. Instead of creating an idealised or stereotyped portrait, the artist represented a character. The sitter’s raised eyebrows, his low eyelids and his tight lips give a slightly arrogant and detached impression. Under his monochrome frock coat, which replaced the colourful justeaucorps in the last third of the 18th century, the gentleman is wearing a waistcoat with yellow and blue embroidery, and a gilet, the lapel and collar of which are turned down to form a colourful element. His white cravat is tied with a bow and his shirt buttons are covered by a jabot. J. S. O.