Portrait of Monsieur Gest, by the little-known artist Alexandre Dubois-Drahonet, illustrates the onset of the Romantic revolution: The tempestuous hairstyle and pallid languor of the sitter, which contrast with the bright emerald of his cloak, are traits commonly associated with the Romantic style. The acquisition of this rare and very beautiful portrait gives substantial depth to LACMA's collection of French nineteenth-century portraits, which also includes works by Jacques-Louis David, Antoine-Jean Gros, and Emile Jean Horace Vernet.
