Portrait of a Man in Costume
c. 1767–68
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
80.3 × 64.7 cm (31 5/8 × 25 1/2 in.); Framed: 105.5 × 89.6 × 12.7 cm (41 1/2 × 35 1/4 × 5 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
93900
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Jean Honoré Fragonard, one of the most celebrated French painters of the Rococo era, created this lively oil-on-canvas portrait around 1767–68. Known for his fluid brushwork and luminous color, Fragonard often infused even formal portraits with a sense of movement and delight, reflecting the lighthearted elegance of mid-eighteenth-century French society under Louis XV. The title “Portrait of a Man in Costume” suggests the sitter may have posed in theatrical or fancy dress, a popular choice among the aristocracy that allowed artists to explore fantasy and personality. Fragonard’s handling of the medium—rich glazes and expressive strokes—gives the figure both presence and immediacy, transforming a conventional likeness into something more animated and engaging. Now in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of European paintings, the work exemplifies Fragonard’s skill at blending portraiture with Rococo playfulness, inviting viewers to appreciate the wit and sophistication of the period.
About the Artist
Jean Honoré Fragonard · 1732–1806
Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806) was a French painter and printmaker whose late Rococo manner was distinguished by remarkable facility, exuberance, and hedonism. Born in Grasse, he moved to Paris where he trained under Jean-Baptiste Chardin and François Boucher, winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1752. After studying in Italy alongside Hubert Robert, Fragonard returned to Paris in 1761 to fi...