SCUOLA FRANCESE, circa 1790

FRENCH SCHOOL, circa 1790 PORTRAIT OF A GENTLEMAN IN A REDINGOTE FRENCH SCHOOL, circa 1790 Watercolor and gouache, without glass, metal frame 7.2 × 6.2 cm / 2.83 × 2.44 inches PROVENANCE Private collection, France ABOUT THE MINIATURE This refined miniature, probably made around 1790, portrays the face of a young gentleman dressed in a redingote — a garment that embodies the Anglomania that infected the elite French circles in the last decades of the Ancien Régime. The work fits into the tradition of French portraiture, but the iconography and costume clearly recall the influence of British culture on continental taste. The character is depicted with a dark brown double-breasted redingote — a riding coat of English origin, adopted and reinterpreted by the aristocracy and fashionable bourgeoisie in France. The cut is tight, the lapels are sharp, and the high buttons evoke both military precision and sporting functionality. Under the coat, a bright orange vest can be glimpsed, adding a touch of color, while a generously pleated white tie softens the structured silhouette. Particularly interesting is the hairstyle: not powdered or gathered in a tail, but worn naturally — slightly disheveled, short, and with a discreet volume on the sides. This detail marks a departure from the powdered wigs of the previous generation and aligns with the new ideals of natural masculinity and British simplicity. CONTEXT: ANGLOMANIA AND THE NEW MASCULINITY In the 1780s, French fashion was undergoing a radical transformation. Under the influence of English sportswear, the aristocracy and urban elites began to reject the lavish styles of the court of the Ancien Régime, preferring garments that conveyed practicality, sobriety, and a sense of gentlemanly leisure. Anglomania extended beyond fashion, touching gardening, politics, and social behaviors, but it was in clothing that it found its most visible expression. The redingote, derived from the English riding coat, became the cornerstone of the new masculine silhouette. Cut high under the arms to allow greater freedom of movement and made of heavy wool fabrics, it combined functionality and elegance. As emphasized by contemporary sources, at the beginning of the 19th century this riding coat evolved into the tailcoat, creating a bridge between country and city, between utility and fashion. This miniature, although anonymous, is a testimony to that cultural moment. It portrays not only the features of an individual, but also the values of a generation that found a new modern identity in simplicity, sobriety, and British style.