Portrait of a Gentleman

A middle-aged man looks at the spectator with an absorbed air. He is wearing a grey jacket that lacks any showy decoration apart from the buttons; he is holding a cocked hat under his left arm and the hilt of his sword can just be glimpsed on the same side next to his hand.
The soft light paintwork, with some retouching, is clearly visible in the face and wig. The sitter is depicted in a pose typical of aristocratic portraits of the period, with one hand on his hip and the other resting on his chest. The oval shape emerging from the rectangle of canvas is a curious element. The gentleman is not known and no element provides any help in identifying him.
J.S.