French émigré Madame Varillat is recorded as exhibiting at the Paris Salon from 1795 until 1833. She came to London during this time and exhibited continuously at the Royal Academy between 1816 and 1820. This portrait is clearly signed and dated in the lower right corner “M.Varillat Jan 1816 London” which corresponds with the time she rented a studio in Great Castle Street off Cavendish Square in London. Known to have had painted the nobility whilst in England, including the Duke of Chartres, her style has a clarity and precision that echoes the Academic manner of French portraiture by the likes of Ingres and David but, in this instance, is tempered by an English “Romantic” approach. With his kindly expression, gentle tilt of his head and affectionate embrace of his pet dog, the young sitter is presented as a ‘man of feeling’ appearing both modest and obliging. Set against a backdrop of a storm laden sky and a distant sea, he sits on a rocky outcrop depicted at ease amongst the elements of nature. Together with his fashionable but somber attire, we are presented with an image which contrasts strongly with the symbolic pretentions of certain portraits of the period in which the accessories alone were sufficient to convey the social status of the sitter. The informality in this portrait may have been influenced by Gainsborough’s portrait of 1770 of the 3rd Duke of Buccleuch holding his dog, a painting that has strong compositional similarities to the present picture.

Varillat’s work is scarce with very few examples having come on to the art market in recent years. She seems to have always signed her works thereby avoiding the fate of obscurity that befalls some other artists. Through records we know that she stopped exhibiting in England after 1820 and no other works are known at the Salon in Paris after 1833 so it may be assumed that she died in France sometime after this date.