A Study of a Sitter

A small painting A Study of a Sitter was moved to the Museum from the Tretyakov collection. Despite the label with the name of Théodore Géricault we have doubts in the name of the author; a lot of artists painted the well-shaped sitter with moustache, who was a model in the atelier of Géricault’s teacher Pierre Guérin. Among suggested painters of A Study of a Sitter was Delacroix and some unknown Russian artist (which is unlikely because the painting was purchased for the Tretyakov’s collection through the intermediary of art dealers Boussod & Valadon for rather a high price of 4,500 francs).

Taking into account that our museums do not house any artwork signed by Géricault and that very few paintings by Géricault are in the world, let’s consider this artwork as a proven artwork performed by one of the pioneers of the French Romantic School. Moreover, the sketch has all distinctive features like a complex turn of the figure, sharp contrast of light and shade, deep dark background, perfect shape, and the most important, the extreme romanticization of the image, everything that Géricault preferred. We could figure this gloomy wild-haired character with antique torso on the battlefield, on deck of the ship, on top of the mountain, in any place challenging the destiny or the environment with the chance to win or heroically die.

While studying at Guérin, Géricault often improved the proposed compositions either adding imaginable background or increasing a contrast of colors. Guérin, famous for his classical and a little bit boring painting, was tolerant towards his experiments though warned the other students against the same. He said that they should not imitate him. Let him work as he liked because he had material enough for three or four artists on the contrary to them.
Originally, the picture looked brighter, unfortunately, its colors have changed because of the dye based on bitumen. Such dyes were very effective for rendering shades but became darker with time.

Author: Oksana Sanzharova