Circle of Jean-Baptiste Perronneau, Portrait of a Gentleman

Circle of Jean-Baptiste Perronneau c.1750

Portrait of a Gentleman

Pastel on paper over canvas; held in period frame. Dimensions refer to size of frame.

Jean-Baptiste Perronneau was one of France’s most significant pastel portraitists of the 18th century. During his lifetime, pastel portraits were immensely popular, widely commissioned and collected. Perronneau began his career as an engraver but shifted to oils and pastels in 1744. He made his Salon debut with a pastel portrait in 1746 and exhibited steadily there until 1779. He received full membership in the Académie Royale in 1753.

Due to Perronneau’s popularity other aspiring artists of the day chose to adopt a similar style and manner to the master creating a body of work that produced some outstanding images in pastel. The portrait presented here is one such example.