Portrait of François Fagel (1740-1773)

Roslin's Portrait of François Fagel (1740–1773) from 1762 depicts a young member of the Fagel family, one of the most important dynasties in the Dutch republic's administrative and diplomatic service. The Fagels had served as Griffiers (Secretaries-General) of the States-General for generations, and François Fagel served in this role before his early death at thirty-three. Roslin painted numerous Dutch and international subjects in Paris, where the cosmopolitan clientele of his studio included diplomats, merchants, and aristocrats from across Europe.

The portrait likely depicts Fagel as a young man of about twenty-two in formal dress appropriate to his official position. Roslin's precise rendering of the textures of powdered wig, embroidered coat, and lace cravat is characteristic, while the face achieves his typical refinement of individual characterization.