Portrait of a gentleman in armor

Louis XV period - early 18th century

Oil painting on canvas

81 x 65 cm.

In frame 97 x 80 cm.

The painting examined here, depicting a gentleman in a knight's armor, presumably a noble officer, can be dated to around the beginning of the 18th century and is evidently a work to be referred to the prolific and prestigious Parisian workshop of Jean-Marc Nattier (Paris 1685 - Paris 1776), one of the most significant portrait painters of his time and a great interpreter of the French school, one of the leading portrait painters of the reign of Louis XV.

Thanks to his numerous pupils, he produced a large number of splendid portraits, such as the work we are offering you, which fully exhibits the formal and aesthetic elegance required by the master's atelier for the demanding aristocratic clientele. Note the meticulous rendering of the facial features and the sharpness of the contours highlighted by the light, both in the details of the face and in the reflections of the armor, rendered with great skill.

Behind our portrayed, presumably to evoke his military exploits or to honor a recent victory, a glimpse of a battlefield is depicted, still in the midst of combat, with the fumes of the cannons that are dispersed in the sky, with the typical colors gray-blue used by Nattier in his works.

The pose of our lord is royal, canonical to all officers of rank, following the favorite formula for the portraits of the members of the French aristocracy, presented in half-length to three-quarters and with a proud gaze towards the observer, as illuminated by the glow of his own prestige: in our case he wears the parade armor and is immortalized with the classic hairstyle surrounded by a bow on the back from which a long lock of hair starts.

The work is presented in an excellent state of conservation, with a gilded wooden frame.

For more information, please contact us. It is also possible to see the painting in our gallery in Riva del Garda where we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works.

Painting accompanied by a certificate of photographic authenticity in accordance with the law.