"I wanted to find some way to take 17th century Dutch genre painting - specifically the figure in an interior - and meld it with a late 18th century French aesthetic.... I decided to go with a plain neckline - certainly not incorrect - which also has the benefit of showing a bit of chest hair; I'd never want to entirely hide the fact that there's a man in that dress." Also then a self portrait. More about the painting at http://godsandfoolishgrandeur.blogspot.nl/2012_04_01_archive.html