Portrait of Jeanbon Saint-André

1795·Pen and black ink and brush and black ink with yellow ocher watercolor over graphite, on cream laid paper·18.3 × 18.3 cm (7 1/4 × 7 1/4 in.)

<p>This penetrating character study of the artist’s friend and fellow French revolutionary, Jeanbon Saint-André (1749–1813), made while both were in prison, brilliantly captures the sitter’s political and moral beliefs through his intense and unflinching stare, defiantly crossed arms, and sober black frock coat and hat. At the same time, it recalls profile portraits on ancient coins, thus equating Saint-André and the revolution with the lofty ideals of the Roman republic. David’s handwritten inscription on the drawing reads: “A gift of friendship. Solace of affection. David made this in confinement in the third year of the French Revolution on July 28, 1795.”</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1795
Medium: Pen and black ink and brush and black ink with yellow ocher watercolor over graphite, on cream laid paper
Dimensions: 18.3 × 18.3 cm (7 1/4 × 7 1/4 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Jacques-Louis David

Artist

Jacques-Louis David

Painting

Jacques-Louis David was a French painter whose large-scale historical compositions established neoclassicism as the dominant aesthetic of late 18th-century Europe. Working primarily in oil on canvas, he depicted classical and revolutionary subjects with austere draftsmanship, restrained color, and an emphasis on moral clarity and civic virtue. His work shaped the visual culture of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, influencing generations of academic painters across Europe.

Paris, France

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