Artwork
Homme vêtu d'un habit en surtout à brandebourgs de camelot de soie
Homme vêtu d'un habit en surtout à brandebourgs de camelot de soie is an unspecified work on paper by the Rococo painting artist Pierre Thomas Le Clerc ou Leclerc. It dates from 1776 and is held in the collection of the Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris. Created in 1776 by Pierre Thomas Le Clerc, this watercolor depicts a solitary male figure dressed in an elaborate silk brocade ensemble.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1776 by Pierre Thomas Le Clerc, this watercolor depicts a solitary male figure dressed in an elaborate silk brocade ensemble. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography and measures the conventions of eighteenth‑century portraiture while focusing on costume rather than narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter stands sideways, hands tucked in his pockets, wearing a light‑gray coat with dark brown lapels edged in gold thread. White stockings, black shoes, and a neatly styled white wig complete the attire, suggesting the fashion of affluent men of the period and emphasizing social rank through textile richness.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor, the artist renders delicate floral motifs embroidered on the coat’s front with fine brushwork, allowing the gold threads to catch light against the muted background. The medium’s translucency conveys the sheen of silk and the subtle gradations of the seaside setting behind the figure.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings after being catalogued as a representative example of eighteenth‑century European dress. Its attribution to Le Clerc, a French painter active in the late 1700s, is supported by stylistic analysis and the dated inscription on the work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pierre Thomas Le Clerc ou Leclerc
Pierre Thomas Le Clerc made delicate 18th-century watercolors of men’s and women’s fashions, recording the exact cut and trim of coats, waistcoats and robes in minute detail.
Museum
Palais Galliera - Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris
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