‘Paganini’ by Delacroix and ‘Napoleon in his Study’ by Jacques-Louis David
In comparing the portraits Paganini by Delacroix and Napoleon in his Study by Jacques-Louis David are full-figure portraits, but the resemblance ends there. While the propaganda portrait of Napoleon is brighter and has more detail, the portrait of Paganini is more lively, moving, and appealing on an emotional level. The portrait of Paganini shows less detail, using very broad brush strokes, but despite the darkness of the background, we have more of a sense of movement and three dimensions with the shadows in the background and those cast by his body. Napoleon shows no obvious shadow at all in the foreground, except on his body, making him stand out, more three-dimensional, and the commanding focus of a very busy painting. Even the shadows on the wall seem softened. The Paganini is more impressionistic, while Napoleon is meant to be more realistic, rather like a poster, almost a photograph. The brushstrokes of the Napoleon are smaller and smoother and there is a huge amount of minute detail done with small brushes in this portrait.
The portrait of Paganini is painted as if candid: he is moving and involved in what he is playing, possibly even unaware of the artist. The portrait of Napoleon is posed, and the subject is likely dressed just for this occasion, even though the desk and the books are there to give the impression that the subject has been interrupted while hard at work. Even the glowing candle is there to impress us with his industry.
The color of the Paganini is dark, even for Delacroix, who generally used more colors and deeper pigments. The media are also different, as the Delacroix is painted on a piece of the board while the Napoleon is on canvas. The pigments for Napoleon were likely the best that could be purchased at the time, which is why the reds are so rich and whites so brilliant. Even the palette is much broader for Napoleon.
Paganini seems almost to blend into the background with the less precise strokes making blurred edges, while everything in the Napoleon portrait has a sharply defined edge. The flesh tones are different, with Paganini having a more sallow complexion, almost a night-club coloring, and Napoleon a healthy skin tone, almost cherub-like. However, the facial expression does not back this up as he is shown with an almost somber facial expression as opposed to the near angelic look on Paganini’s face. Since size was an issue with Napoleon, we assume that this furniture was scaled down for him, since he does not appear any smaller than normal. However, when we look at the portrait of Paganini, the only reference for the size we have is the violin and bow, and it appears that the figure’s feet are nearly as large, which would make him rather a giant.
‘Marie-Antoinette en Chemise’ by Lebrun and ‘Countess Tournon’ by Ingress
Comparing Marie-Antoinette en Chemise by Lebrun to the portrait of Countess Tournon by Ingress is somewhat easier than the comparison of the previous two portraits. The ladies are different for certain. However, it is interesting how much their expressions match. Both portraits use very smooth brush strokes and there is a great deal of detail in each, though the detail is limited to the foreground.
The colors in Marie-Antionette are more subtle, muted pastels against the pale flesh which is near as light as her ruffled white dressing gown. Interestingly, she is wearing a rather daytime hat, very spring-like as if she has just come in from the garden. The very dark background makes her skin appear even paler with just a blush of peach on her cheeks.
The Countess is dressed in rather darker clothing, which would minimize her ample girth, and the Elizabethan ruff around her neck probably covers more than a few wrinkles. The lace and light coat are off-white, making less contrast with her skin, giving it more color, though the entire portrait has a slightly yellow cast. Even the rich color of the day coat adornment is not too bright, so as not to make the Countess appear too pale. The lighter brownish background has the same effect of minimizing the contrast. Both women are lit very softly from the left front, though there is a bit more reflection in the Countess’s portrait on the polished furniture, indicating a slightly stronger light and maybe a shinier surface also. The light source is lower on Marie-Antoinette than in the Countess’s portrait, as evidenced by the shadow under the Countess’s nose, while Marie-Antoinette has her nose’s shadow to the right, almost on her cheek. Both dresses are highlighted nicely, though the highlights on the white dress are more subtle in appearance. The dark green velvet dress is defined by its highlights, while the white dress is defined by its shadows. Both artists used a very broad palette.
The Countess is seated, while Marie-Antoinette is standing, but we see approximately the same portion of the torso on both ladies. Considering the countess’s advanced age, probably near sixty at the time, she appears in quite good health, with her skin tone showing perhaps more color than Marie-Antoinette’s. Lebrun showed almost no lines on Marie-Antoinette’s face, even though, we do have them in our teens. Even the shadows of both these faces are quite minimized. There are slight circles under the Countess’s eyes, but they are not unattractive. The Countess’s brown eyes and pale lips are a contrast to Marie-Antoinette’s blue eyes and very pink lips.
There is a great deal of difference in their ages, probably about forty years, yet this is not obvious in the portraits. The Lebrun and Ingress probably were very careful not to depict female clients too realistically, but it is obvious that the artists liked their subjects, as these ladies both appear quite attractive. In both portraits, we see the richness of the fabrics and the soft folds and ruffles. With Marie-Antoinette, the ruffles frame her bosom and give her a very soft youthful look, almost angelic. With Countess Tournon, the highlighted folds of the rich green velvet soften her appearance and hide her size. Velvet was quite expensive, as was lace, at that time, so both ladies are quite an in fashion.
References
David, Jaques-Louis, 18XX, Napoleon in his Study.
Delacroix, XXXX, Paganini.
Ingres, J.A.D. 1812, Portrait of the Countess of Tournon.
Lebrun, 1783, Marie-Antoinette en Chemise.