Ferdinand Roybet (1840-1920) - Gentleman holding a hanap in his hand

Oil on mahogany panel, signed upper left
Dimensions: H. 82 x W. 66 cm (with frame: H. 108 x W. 91 cm)

Ferdinand Roybet was one of the leading figures in portraiture and interior scenes at the end of the 19th century. He studied drawing and engraving at the Lyon School of Fine Arts. His talent was quickly noticed and he moved to Paris to continue his training. When he was just 24, his painting "Un fou sous Henri III" was exhibited at the official Paris Salon: it was acquired by Princess Mathilde, the fiancée of Emperor Napoleon III. Roybet's reputation was now established, and his painting style remained unchanged.

In 1871, Roybet discovered the paintings of Franz Hals and Rembrandt during a stay in Holland. From Franz Hals, Roybet retained the power of form, and from Rembrandt the fervor and quest of the soul. The artist paints these figures dressed in 17th-century fashion with rapid, precise strokes. Roybet quickly won numerous medals at the world's fairs in Antwerp (1894), Berlin, Vienna...
Ferdinand Roybet's success during his lifetime made him financially comfortable, enabling him to produce his finest works on large solid mahogany panels, unaffordable at the end of the 19th century. These panels enabled his great portraits to reach us in often perfect condition.

In 1927, the Musée Roybet Fould opened its doors in Courbevoie, just outside Paris. Created by Consuelo Fould, painter and granddaughter of Napoleon III's finance minister, the museum houses a collection of Roybet paintings bequeathed by the founder.

Our painting is a magnificent portrait of Roybet. This large-scale work is highly accomplished, with rare attention to detail. The man's posture is skilfully studied, plunging us immediately into the 17th century with a powerful, wealthy and intelligent figure. The man is proud, his head slightly bowed. In his gloved hand, he holds a vermeil hanap, and the richness of his clothes testifies to his rank.
The colors in this painting follow a subtle harmony: the icy brown background, the hat and the dark brown hair are all in the same tone; the beige of the clothes pick up the same tone, with infinite gradations down to the white of the lace. The face itself is part of this chromatic balance. Only the celadon-green scarf establishes a diagonal on which the composition rests.
With this portrait, Roybet shows his incredible talent for sketching details with a quick, light touch. His painting is like a hyphen between the past he enjoyed depicting and the artistic modernity of the late 19th century. This portrait is painted on a superb beveled solid mahogany panel, and its condition is absolutely perfect.

Museums :
Avignon, Bordeaux, Musée d'Orsay, Mulhouse, New York, Courbevoie Musée Roybet Fould, etc...