Portrait of an architect with a compass Oil on canvas signed and dated 1757 18th century.

Portrait of an architect, shown half-length against a dark background, wearing a red coat with covered buttons and a shirt adorned with a jabot and lace cuffs.
The figure holds before him an architectural drawing, particularly interesting for its technical details. The lower portion depicts a floor plan of a building, showing the layout of the walls, several openings, and a stairwell. The upper portion shows a cross-section of the building's framework. A scale bar is also included alongside the drawing. The architect holds an open compass in his left hand.
The architectural drawing and the compass thus occupy a prominent place in the composition and allow us to identify the sitter's profession. The clothing is rendered in detail, notably the buttons on the coat and the lace of the jabot and cuffs, whose various patterns are meticulously depicted.
The face stands out against a very dark brown background. The gray hair, worn mid-length and slightly wavy, frames the face. The overall composition is typical of a mid-18th-century male portrait.

The painting is in excellent condition. It remains on its original, unrelined canvas and retains its old wooden stretcher with fixed joints. We have not observed any overpainting or visible previous restorations. A few small, isolated losses to the paint layer and a network of craquelure consistent with the painting's age are present.
The canvas bears a signature, the reading of which remains to be determined, as well as the date "1757."

The painting is presented in an 18th-century molded and gilded softwood frame. The molding has a thin layer of primer, worked in a retouching technique, decorated with scrolling foliage in the style of Bérain, with engraved and gridded backgrounds. The gilding shows some wear and minor losses.

Mid-18th century, signed and dated 1757.
Dimensions: Visible: 90 × 70 cm; Framed: 101.5 × 81.5 cm

Ref: 7W1M09W2SW