Henri Decaisne

HENRI DECAISNE (Belgium, 1799-1852).
"Male portrait".1840.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
It presents light craquelure.
Measurements: 74 x 60 cm.

In this portrait, Henri Decaisne manages to capture with virtuosity both the physical resemblance and the status and character of the individual. The protagonist is a middle-aged man, depicted half-length. His pose is formal and serene, with his hands clasped in his lap, conveying a sense of calm and authority. His gaze is direct and intense, directed at the viewer, and his expression is serious and intellectual, accentuated by the glasses he wears. He is dressed in the sober elegance of the period: black vest, starched white shirt and black bow tie.

The man is seated in an interior, probably his office. The objects around him serve to define his identity as a man of letters or a professional. To his left, on a table, we see a book with a red spine, an inkwell with a quill pen and some papers.

Decaisne's technique is precise and detailed. The brushstroke is polished and barely perceptible, seeking a smooth and realistic finish that captures with great fidelity the different textures, from the skin to the fabric of the clothes.

Henri Decaisne was a Belgian portrait and history painter, born in Brussels in 1799. Already in 1814 he began to study painting with François, and in 1818 with the advice of David he went to Paris and entered the studio of Girodet, from where he moved to that of Gros. Several paintings by the author are in Versailles, among them are the "Entry of Charles VII in Rouen" (1838), and the "Institution of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem" (1842). In 1839 he completed his colossal work, "Les Belges Illustres". Distinctions: Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor. Order of Leopold. He died in Paris in 1852.