Louis Sené

Louis Sené painted portraits in the early 1800s, keeping details spare and faces direct. You’ll find one of their pieces, *Unknown man* (1800–01), in this set—it’s a plainspoken study of a single figure against a muted background. The work belongs to a quiet stretch of portraiture before photography changed the game. See how the brushwork stays close to the subject; next, tap to compare it with another early 1800s portrait in the same bundle.