Portrait of a Chouan

Attributed to Victor GILBERT (1847–1933)
probably an early work
Signed “V. Gilbert” in the upper right corner

Our painting depicts a middle-aged man with long dark hair, wearing a wide black hat adorned with two small insignia, one bearing a red cross and the other a fleur-de-lis.

These symbols, associated with the monarchy and Catholic tradition, evoke the world of the Chouans, the royalist insurgents who fought against the Republican armies in western France beginning with the French Revolution.

His sharply defined features, deep gaze, and serious expression give him a particularly striking presence.
The painter focuses all his attention on the model's facial features.