A French gentleman of the Court of Louis XVIth A French gentleman of the Court of Egalité, 1799 / [graphic]

"An elderly courtier of the 'ancien régime' (left) bows low, in profile to the right, grimacing: 'Je suis voire tres humble Serviteur'. His features are aquiline; he wears a high toupet wig and a large black bag (which flies into the air as he bows) with a solitaire ribbon round the neck. His small tricorne hat is in his right hand, his left hand is on his breast; his fingers are extravagantly pointed. His successor (right) stands in back view, legs astride, hands thrust deep into his coat-pockets, a bludgeon projecting vertically from the left pocket. His head, with blunt, coarse features, is turned in profile to the left, to say: "Baiser mon Cu [sic]". He has shaggy hair with a long pigtail queue, and wears a large cocked hat, one peak on his neck, round which is a clumsy neck-cloth. His coat is loose with broad collar and projecting revers. His breeches are tied beneath the knee, showing striped stockings above very wrinkled boots with grotesquely pointed toes."--British Museum online catalogue