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Jacques Luc Barbier-Valbonne
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The French Revolution (1789–99) disrupted all traditional hierarchies, including that of art, which habitually placed history painting in the highest regard. When Isabey exhibited this portrait of his friend and fellow artist in the 1796 salon, drawings had taken on significance as a more personal and egalitarian form of art. Isabey depicts Barbier as a solid citizen of the new Republic. The tasseled cap and embroidered jacket recall Barbier’s service as a hussar, a type of soldier; the vest, cravat, and “dog-ear” hairstyle were popular among young men in Paris at the time. Traditionally, however, a fashionable man would not be shown smoking, an activity usually associated with lower classes. Isabey’s focus on the long pipe and steady stream of smoke made the drawing especially populist for the time.
| Artist / Maker | Jean-Baptiste Isabey |
|---|---|
| Date | 1796 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 19th century |
| Medium | Black chalk with stumping, heightened with white gouache on beige wove paper |
| Dimensions | Sheet: 26.2 x 20.7 cm (10 5/16 x 8 1/8 in.) |
| Department | Drawings |
| Type | Drawing |
About the Artist
BiographyJean-Baptiste Isabey (1767–1855) — French painter (1767-1855).Jean-Baptiste Isabey worked as painter, draftsperson, lithographer, caricaturist and portraitist and is associated with France. Their documented life spans the years 1767 to 1855, born in Nancy, died in Paris.Disciplinespainter, draftsperson, lithographer, caricaturist, portraitistBorn1767, NancyDied1855, ParisNationalityFranceSources: Wikidata · Wikipedia Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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