Gentleman in Red Coat

An artist from François Dumont’s circle painted this portrait of a young gentleman in the enamel technique. The painting style of the hair appears free and inspired; this and the amiable and quick-witted expression are also found in a quite similar form in the portraits by the Lorraine miniaturist, who himself did not paint enamels. It is not impossible that actually a work of Dumont was the basis of the portrait. Enamel painters most often did not work using alive model, due to the lengthy and complicated painting process, but copied the paintings of other artists.

This portrait amazes the observer with its free and airy painting manner. Other portraits often appear sharply contoured, with strident colours and very scrupulously constructed, but here the artist succeeded in achieving a likeness full of mellow sentiment. The colours are applied in glazed broad layers over the white basic enamel coat, and they therefore appear almost sketched in some places. The hair is shaded in swiftly applied translucent colours as well, thus forming a wild, apparently untamed bulk which, in combination with the brilliant red of the coat, express strength and boldness. In contrast to this, the gentleman’s face is painted rich in detail, showing fine features and a remarkably soft, sensitive and introspective expression. Only a few artists had the rare talent to bestow so much life and feeling on their miniatures.

B. P.