Sepia PHOTO...Who is this historical figure?

We think this may be an original sepia photograph. It’s small; 1-1/2” tall. The back has some pencil notes.

Is it a chubby George Washington, or another historical figure?

As always, TIA for your help!

 

If it's a photograph, I think it's a photograph of a photograph of a painting at best.

Perhaps we can investigate the subject by getting a better look at the writing on back. The bend in the paper is making it difficult to decipher. Can you flatten it? Maybe get a closer look of the name at the top?

 

Ans for what it's worth, I don't see Washington in that face anywhere.

 

@Bakersgma Thank you! I’m probably looking at the wig and seeing a Washington! LOL I’ll get some better shots of the writing on the back tomorrow. Have a nice night! Sally

 

I agree, it is not George Washington.

 

Yet his face does look familiar to me. Will think about this for a while.. I'm still waking up this morning.

 

It looks rather like Prinny to me.

 

After enlarging the writing on the back, I think the first part looks like Lieut., an abbreviation for Lieutenant. So the following two words may give the identity. Unless the picture was a gift to a lieutenant. ....

 

Could be Louis XVI

 

Sorry for being AWOL . I’m going to try and take a better image of the writing from home tonight (where it is) and will post later

 

Print appears to be an animated bird. I’m guessing I’m wrong. Who is Prinny?

 

Prinny was George IV. He picked up the moniker as Prince of Wales.

Prinny, who had (shall we say) a weight problem, was the great patron of Beau Brummel. They fell out, and when Brummel was on the slippery slope, due to debt, his career pretty much came to an end when he met Prinny and Lord Alvanley at a masquerade ball at a club called Witiers. Prinny refused to acknowledge Brummel, so Brummel looked at Alvanley and famously asked, "Who's your fat friend?" That was pretty much it for Brummel.

 

Here are some better photos of the handwriting in the back

 

Those wigs were out of fashion in the days of George IV. They were worn during his father's time, but George III looked different. As did George IV, by the way.

 

I still think Louis XVI is a good bet.

I think the inscription on the back is to-and-from.

 

Then I'm going with Louis XVI! Thanks for your help!

 

He does resemble him, except... every picture I can find of Louis XVI depicts him with full, or even thick, lips. The man in the picture here appears to have much thinner lips. Unless the staining and fading of the image is hiding something.

 

The first word looks like Lieut? Short for Lieutenant, I presume. Below that is 'from'.
I think he is an American gentleman.

 

He looks really familiar, but I haven't had any luck finding this exact portrait.