A Fine Portrait Miniature of a Gentleman, seated three-quarters length with crossed legs, facing right in gold-embroidered green coat with frilled lace jabot and cuffs, black culottes with white stockings, his left hand resting on a writing desk and holding an open letter, his right hand on his knee, seated on a purple upholstered gilt-wood fauteuil, white short curly wig; architectural background

This expressive miniature, obviously depicting an important sitter, may be compared to the other miniatures by this Swiss artist in the Louvre (see P. Jean-Richard, Miniatures sur ivoire. Musée du Louvre. Musée d'Orsay, Paris, 1994, pp. 139-140, nos. 221 and 222).
Despite the difference in colouring, the treatment and handling of Fabre's and Soyer's work is remarkably close as is visible in this and the following lot and it may be assumed they shared the same apprenticeship.