Portrait of a Man in Costume

One of the most prolific artists of the eighteenth century, Jean-Honoré Fragonard excelled at painting amorous subjects, lush landscapes, and lighthearted scenes of everyday life, only rarely turning his hand to the antique subjects most esteemed by the art academies. His paintings also eschewed the high finish then deemed appropriate for a carefully executed work; instead, he applied paint directly and impetuously, and his compositions often have the character of quick sketches. Portrait of a Man in Costume is closely related to a series of paintings traditionally known as “fantasy portraits,” although they actually depict members of the artist’s circle of friends and patrons. The precise identity of this figure is unknown, and the painting may have been intended as an imaginative type. The half-length format allowed Fragonard to use details of expression, pose, and dress to endow the subjects with extraordinary vitality. Ruff s, padded shoulders, and jaunty hats evoke historical costumes and reflect the artist’s appropriation of the styles and subjects of his predecessors, notably Peter Paul Rubens. The style of beard and mustache and the striped garment with extended shoulders suggest the fashions of the early Baroque period. The restricted color range of earthy green and brown emphasizes the man’s face, which appears luminous against a soft background. His large, heavy-lidded eyes dominate the image, their penetrating stillness contrasting with the active, undulating contours of his rumpled costume.