This playful early 18th-century half-length French school portrait depicts a bewigged gentleman pointing to, what appears to be, a marble tablet. It’s somewhat reminiscent of works by Gilles Allou (1670-1751).Attired in an exceedingly well-tailored ensemble, he’s evidently a man of considerable means. His dark blue velvet coat, probably a ‘justacorps’, is embellished with horizontal bands of elaborate gold embroidery. While the lucious patterned silk, draped across his right arm, is also elegantly crafted. The glimpse of a red waistcoat is partially obscured by an ornate lace collar. For context, it’s interesting to compare his outfit with that worn by the King of France in ‘Madame de Ventadour with Louis XIV and his Heirs’ from the same period.At first glance, we speculated as to whether he could be pointing at a blank canvas, and perhaps this is a self-portrait. However, the absence of a brush makes this theory unlikely. It’s plausible that he could be involved in the marble ...