Portrait of a Man 1775 - 1785

Edme Quenedey's "Portrait of a Man" is a miniature portrait of a young man in profile, painted in watercolor on ivory. The sitter wears a white jacket with a red and gold shoulder piece, a white cravat, and a powdered wig. This small-scale artwork, currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies the popular genre of portrait miniatures, often created as keepsakes or mementos during the 18th century. The detail and precision of Quenedey's brushwork, combined with the intimate format, make this miniature a captivating study of an unknown individual from this period.