French School, late 18th Century

The attribution of this intriguing portrait of a handsome young man has eluded scholars. He is pictured in a loose white blouse and striking red vest, turned to the side and looking over the viewer's right shoulder. His long, dark hair is slightly unkempt. Though likely painted by a French artist at the end of the eighteenth century, the sitter's facial features, dark eye color, and skin tone indicate that he is probably of multi-ethnic descent, perhaps from the Caribbean or the Americas.