3-044-032 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Portrait of a Man, about 1725. Additional Info: For many years, this gentleman was believed to be Samuel Bernard, one of the wealthiest financiers in Paris. But comparisons to documented portraits of Bernard suggest that the pastel depicts another sitter, one who has yet to be identified. Given that Joseph Vivien was among France's most sought-after pastel portraitists and commanded high prices for his work, the sitter would certainly have been of significant wealth.