François Gérard, a Neoclassical History Painter
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The great artist’s portrait of a Napoleonic officer who died in the prime of life has resurfaced. François Gérard (1770-1837), Portrait de Charles Ferdinand Théodore de Vassinhac d'Imécourt, oil on original canvas, 210 x 135 cm/82.67 x 53.14 in. Estimate: €250,000/350,000 The male portrait rarely reached such a peak of elegance as under the First Empire, as François Gérard’s spectacular 1808 painting of Charles Ferdinand Théodore de Vassinhac d'Imécourt attests. The fashions of the day certainly helped. With his high white tie, black frock coat, butter-colored breeches and cuffed boots, this handsome young man was no exception. The composition owes its
