Gentleman with Headscarf with White, Red and Blue Pattern

Though this was formerly thought to be a portrait of Thérèse Elisabeth Le Ray de Chaumont, we believe the sitter in this miniature is a young gentleman:¹ his broad cheek bones with sideburns, his chin and the Adam’s apple hinted at suggest a male physiognomy. The sitter wears an open-necked shirt with a jabot; his tresses of hair are unpowdered and partly covered by a headscarf with a blue, white and red pattern. All these elements suggest that he is a young Revolutionary who wanted to show his political attitude in his outward appearance. However, one had to exercise great caution when doing so; things that were politically correct one week could be frowned upon the next,and could even endanger one’s life.
More than forty small-format portraits in oil by Ribou are known but only a few miniatures. His full name and some information about his life have only recently become known.²
B. P.