The Artist and Two Friends

Three friends are engaged in an animated discussion. While their conversation is lost to us, we feel included thanks to their expressive, if mute gestures. Baldrighi, on the left, modestly stands to the side. The figure at centre gazes back at us, acknowledging our presence; he is perhaps the painter Alexander Roslin (1718-1793). The company is convivial, the setting intimate. Unlike the others, Baldrighi wears a cap, not the wig expected for public display, suggesting the three have met at the artist's home. The spirited application of paint - the strokes clearly visible - matches the mood. Such informal portraiture became increasingly important in the 18th century.