Standing Man with Hand in Vest, from Figures de Modes

Standing Man with Hand in Vest, from Figures de Modes is an important etching by Jean Antoine Watteau French, 1684-1721. Created between 1705 and 1715, this print captures a fashionable figure characteristic of early 18th-century France. The technique employs etching on ivory laid paper, demonstrating Watteau’s deftness in utilizing graphic processes to render light forms and sophisticated costume details.

The subject is a standing gentleman posed with one hand tucked neatly into his vest, a common gesture of refinement and poise during the Régence period. Watteau, known primarily for his masterful fêtes galantes, frequently executed preparatory studies and character prints like this one. These single-figure studies often served as references for his more complex compositional paintings and were also sold as marketable prints for collectors and fellow artists. This practice contributed significantly to the dissemination of visual culture during the transition from Baroque grandeur to the emerging Rococo style in France.

The delicacy of the line work inherent in the etching process perfectly conveys the textures of the man's tailored coat and voluminous wig. This individual work stands as an exceptional example of Watteau’s observational skill and his contribution to French printmaking. Today, prints like this are frequently studied and, being within the public domain, are utilized widely for educational purposes. This particular impression of the work is preserved in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.