Attributed to François-Joseph Kinson

Charles de Beistegui (1894-1970), Château de Groussay, Montfort l'Amaury;
Thence by inheritance to his nephew, Juan de Beistegui;
By whom sold, Sotheby's, Montfort l'Amaury, Château de Groussay (auction on the premises), 3 June 1999, lot 444;
With Ariane Dandois, Paris;
From whom acquired by the present owner, October 1999.

The canvas has been relined. Overall this is a beautifully colored and very striking image. Restoration appears to have been completed in the past couple of decades as the various but small scattered retouches that are visible under UV appear to have been expertly applied and quite conservatively done. Small restorations can be seen in the sitters hair, his sword and in some of his black dress. One likely repaired puncture is visible along his left knee. Despite these small retouches the vast majority are cosmetic and the painting could be hung in its current state as the restorations, as mentioned, are very well applied and the varnish appears fresh. The painting is in a carved and gilt wood frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This striking portrait depicts a young man wearing a dark green chasseur-style uniform with white waistcoat, similar to those worn by the Napoleonic light cavalry units.  It is richly decorated and embroidered, with hunting horns on the coat tails.  The uniform is probably that of a civic or municipal honor guard of some, as yet, unidentified town in France during the period of 1811-1812. The uniform depicted here is very close to that of the garde d’honneur du Calvados, but lacks that uniform's pink piping at the collar, coat lapels and cuffs. It was a tradition still much in force during Napoleon’s time that when a sovereign passed through or came to visit a town, these honor guards would be called upon for ceremonial duties.  The young men were usually from prominent families and often had military experience.  Their uniforms were of all types and usually adhered to the military fashion of the period.  The sitter, here, wears the medal of the Legion of Honor indicating he had served in the army.  The medal is of a late Empire type, with balls on the points of the cross, which dates it to 1811 or after.

We are grateful to Yves Martin and Guy Dempsey for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.