The gentleman in this picture, Vicomte Ludovic-Napoléon Lepic (1839-1889), was a member of a Napoleonic aristocratic family and dedicated dabbler in many pursuits. Though art was one of them, he and Degas initially met through social, not artistic circles. (Degas, too, was "well-connected," as they say.) The Vicomte ended up starring in at least four canvases by his friend, and was persuaded by the same to exhibit in the first two Impressionist Salons. History has, alas, proved Lepic a better subject than painter.
Degas has here turned out a thoroughly Impressionistic canvas. It was clearly executed very quickly--the oils nearly resemble watercolors (including some muddy areas), the Vicomte's face has a hasty feel and the whole thing looks more a sketch than a finished composition. Love the turquoise siding, though. I wonder if that was a color only wealthy people could afford?
Side note: Lepic loathed Paul Cézanne's work and did everything under the sun to ban him from exhibiting in the Impressionist Salons. This resulted in Lepic, himself, being banned after Salon #2.
About the Theft:
At around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 10, 2008, three thieves wearing dark clothing and ski masks entered the E. G. Bührle Collection on the shores of Lake Zurich in Switzerland shortly before the facility was due to close for the day at 5:00 p.m. While one thief ordered visitors and staff, at gunpoint, to lay on the floor, the other two quickly stripped four side-by-side Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings from a wall in the "Music Room." Law enforcement officials speculate that these canvases were not stolen "to order," due to the fact that they were hanging together when taken, and also because more valuable works are on display elsewhere in the Collection. $91K (US) in reward money leading to the return of these paintings is reported to be available.
Note: Anyone with information about this theft or the whereabouts of the paintings is asked to contact INTERPOL National Central Bureau Berne (ref.: IP/105/348270/GIS) and the INTERPOL General Secretariat (ref.: 2008/5583).