Probably by Joseph Ducreux, 'Portrait of a Man', possibly 1791

This portrait of a middle-aged man was once thought to be a self portrait by Joseph Ducreux in which he is dressed as a French abbot, with powdered hair. The style of clothes and hair date the picture to the 1790s. Although Ducreux did paint self portraits, this face lacks identifying features that can be seen in confirmed self portraits from this period. Ducreux also painted several abbots during his career, but none match the man we see here. The painting has, however, been identified as one of five pictures that Ducreux exhibited at the Royal Academy in London in 1791, where it may have had the title Portrait of a Gentleman by Du Creux, R.A.. Based upon a handwritten note found in a copy of the exhibition catalogue, the sitter for that portrait has traditionally been associated with the name ‘M. Le Texier.’

If this is indeed a portrait of a Monsieur Le Texier, he is most likely Antony Le Texier. Born in Lyons around 1737, Le Texier became famous for his dramatic readings, and he even lectured at the royal court in Paris. In 1775–6 he made his first visit to England, where his talks were popular among wealthy London families. In London he became friends with David Garrick, the leading actor and theatre manager of his time, with whom he initially collaborated before becoming his competitor. Although there is no documentary evidence to connect Le Texier with Ducreux, nor are there any confirmed portraits of him, it is quite possible that during his own stay in London Ducreux could have met and painted his fellow countryman who, like him, was known for his short temper.

Le Texier’s profession as a dramatic reader and performer may partly explain the striking expression of the man we see in this picture. Facing us directly, his eyes staring ahead intensely, he resembles a tête d’expression (a painted or sculpted head specifically created to display an emotion). Ducreux was known for his animated self portraits, a genre that was particularly appreciated in England, and many of these were engraved. Before the French Revolution of 1789, he was a successful portraitist at the court of Louis XVI, but his self portraits break with the limitations and conventions of formal and official portraiture. They also show Ducreux’s fascination with physiognomy – the pseudo-science that claimed the study of a person’s outward appearance, particularly the head and face, reveals their personality or character. In this picture, the black coat and waistcoat and the dark background particularly emphasise the man’s face. The strong lighting of the head, which casts the left side of the face in deep shadow, further heightens the drama and makes it seem as though we are looking at a performance rather than a natural expression.

The painting is covered by a thick layer of yellow varnish, and the attribution to Ducreux is not certain. He spent only months in London, producing just a few paintings while there. But if this painting is indeed by him, it is the only one in a British public collection.