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Portrait of a Young Man

c. 1775-1800
Johann Georg Edlinger (German, 1741–1819)

This painting was once thought to be a portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte as a boy by Jacques-Louis David, one of the most esteemed painters working in France in the 1700s. Though the sitter remains unknown, the painting is now attributed to Johann Georg Edlinger, an artist who worked in Munich, Germany, and was known for his truthful yet compassionate portraits. The fluid paint in the frilled collar is characteristic of Edlinger’s work, which was inspired by celebrated Dutch painters such as Rembrandt and Frans Hals.


Object Details

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