19th-Century English School, Portrait Of A Gentleman

19th-Century English School, Portrait Of A GentlemanThis charming mid 19th century English oil painting depicts a dapper gentleman wearing a shirt with upturned collars, black cravat, and black frock coat. The gentlemans outfit aligns with the fashions of the 1830s 1840s, probably around the time of Queen Victorias ascent. This was a period whereby menswear became somewhat less exaggerated than in the previous decade. A respectable male would avoid conspicuous decadence, opting instead for

the artists became supreme at their craft - unsurpassed even today after four centuries

Condition Craquelure throughout and several areas of paint loss

1881) / Private collection

He’s highly regarded as a portraitist but enjoyed painting landscapes ‘en plein air’ in an impressionistic style

Léon Adolphe Belly trained under Francois Edouard Picot in Paris

Henrik Jespersen trained at the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen and was known for his fine landscapes depicting views from the Alps and Zealand

It’s painted in a style reminiscent of the cubist movement

It’s essentially moated by a river and accessible via a white wooden bridge

The portrait is signed in the top left

Bates was an ‘open air painter’ and relished being close to nature

while maidens tossed them from windows when seeking a suitor

his work had been shown at the prestigious salon in Brussels and he’d also won first prize at the Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp