Gentleman in Blue Coat

The picture of this gentleman in a blue tasselled coat was painted in the late 1780s, as the wide collar lapels reveal. It is a comparatively plain miniature, which the artist was able to paint without previous study of the posture or of particular details. Several similar small-format pictures by Bornet are known; all of them portray the sitter turned to the left looking directly at the observer.

Bornet’s characteristic painting style becomes clear in this work: the background and the gentleman’s clothes are painted with gouache colour applied in a liberal and pastose manner. The face was painted in transparent layers with clearly visible brushstrokes. In doing so, the artist neglected harsh outlines in favour of a natural and spontaneous effect. The model’s lowered lids give the impression that he is looking down on the spectator. The artist bestowed this attitude on several of his sitters. Here it is additionally accentuated by the gentleman’s mouth, painted without the merest smile.

The miniature, framed in a gold locket, could have been worn as a piece of jewellery on a chain around the neck, thus accompanying its owner.

B. P.