This charming mid-18th-century English oil painting depicts a debonair gentleman wearing a white silk waistcoat with elaborate gold embroidery and a dark blue velvet coat. He carries a tricorn under his left arm. Stylistically, the handling is comparable to the oeuvre of Henry Pickering (c.1720-1770/1771).

Produced during the golden age of English portraiture, this splendid piece conveys the sitter’s character and status with dextrous handling. It’s an unabashed display of affluence. The focal point is the waistcoat with its beautifully designed embroidery - framed, in effect, by the simplicity of the roundnecked coat. It’s a masterpiece. While the coat itself appears to be velvet and, again, indicates that this is a man of considerable means. It’s similar to the outfit worn in Pompeo Batoni’s portrait of a young man from c.1760-65. 

The positioning of the right hand is an interesting addition as it demonstrates the artist’s aptitude. Hands were/are challenging to paint and often there was an extra fee for including them. The hand gesture itself is similar to one seen in Pickering’s portrait of Thomas Johnson from 1759.

Based predominantly in the north of England, Henry Pickering developed a glowing reputation as a portraitist of merit. He trained in Italy where he studied the old masters, and lived in Manchester from 1759.

Held in a later concave frame with rocaille corners/centres and foliate.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 36” x 44” / 92cm x 112cm
Year of creation: c. 1755
Provenance: Adamson-Duvannes Galleries Los Angeles, California / Private collection, UK.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Canvas relined. Faint stretcher marks. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Our reference: BRV1962