The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 5, 2023

Portrait of a Young Man

c. 1865–1875

France, 19th century

Charcoal with stumping, heightened with white chalk

Support: Coarse brown wove paper

Sheet: 36.6 x 27.9 cm (14 7/16 x 11 in.)

Bequest of Muriel Butkin 2008.403

Location

not on view

Description

The anonymity of artist and sitter by no means lessens the appeal of this portrait. The distinct lighting from the right suggests the artificial illumination of an interior. Perhaps this portrait of a youthful, dapper man is one of the many that young artists in training typically made in the studios of their fellows. It could be, on the other hand, a self-portrait made by a young man carefully examining himself in a mirror.

Inscriptions

Inscription

verso, lower right, along right margin, in black crayon: Renoir par Fantin [illegible]; lower right, in black crayon: A Renoir par Fantin / [illegible]

Provenance
Charles-Philippe, marquis de Chennevières-Pointel (Lugt 2073, lower right, in black ink). [Shepherd Gallery, New York]; purchased in 1977.
Citations
Rohowsky, Peter S. French Nineteenth Century Drawings, Pastels, Watercolors: Nov. 1977-Feb. 1978. New York: Shepherd Gallery Associates, 1977. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 35
Foster, Carter E., Sylvain Bellenger, and Patrick Shaw Cable. French Master Drawings from the Collection of Muriel Butkin. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2001. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat no. 40, p. 90-91
Exhibition history

French Nineteenth Century Drawings, Pastels, and Watercolors, Shepherd Gallery, New York (1977), no. 35, repr.

French Master Drawings from the Collection of Muriel Butkin. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-October 28, 2001); Dahesh Museum of Art (February 19-May 18, 2002).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2008.403