Jean Etienne Liotard

Gentleman in Blue Coat

The miniature of the unknown gentleman in a bright blue coat originated in the circle of the Genevan painter Jean Etienne Liotard. This artist, being first and foremost famous as a pastelist, was an extremely gifted enamel and miniature painter, as well. Unlike his teachers Gardelle and Massé (cf. cat.-nos 2008-57 - 2008-62) he painted his sitters in a realism entirely unusual in mid-18th century portrait painting, thus imparting on his sitters a great presence. So he dispensed, for example, with theatrical poses and with enlarging the eyes of his models in order to heighten their expression - a popular practice in his day. Liotard modelled the faces on their illuminated side in very mellow tints, whereas he hatched the eye sockets and the nose area in remarkably dark colours. Besides the above mentioned characteristics, the portrait of a gentleman from the Tansey Collection shows an affinity to Liotard's works in the bright blue colour of the coat. Some elements, however, indicate, that this is not a miniature by the Swiss painter's own hand. The guide of the brush in the incarnate parts is faltering. Moreover the incarnate parts and the sitter's hairs are intensely reworked with the scraping blade. The coat appears flat. It is conceivable, though, that a miniature painter of his circle had here converted a painting by Liotard into a smaller format.

B.P.