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Adèle Romany

Portrait of Auguste Vestris, 1793

Now On View

Description

Maker

Title

Portrait of Auguste Vestris

Year

1793

Medium

Oil on canvas

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Supports

Dimensions

95.2 x 77.5 cm (37 1/2 x 30 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

signed lower right on stone ledge: "Adèle R x x x" There is a faint mark to the left of the signature, possiblly indicating the letter M in "Mme" An earlier suggestion that the signature is "A de la R x x x" does not note the apparent accent grave over the first letter "è"

Type

Credit

Purchased with the Edith C. Erlenmeyer Bequest and the Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund

Object Number

2009.9

About

The subject of this portrait, Auguste Vestris (1760–1842), was the son of King Louis XVI’s dancing master. He made his ballet debut at the age of twelve and soon usurped his father’s reputation as “the god of the dance.” This portrait celebrates the dancer’s slender form and catalogues his taste for fashionable dress. A close-fitting wool jacket, beaver-fur hat, voluminous cravat, silk waistcoat, golden earrings, bamboo walking stick, and yellow gloves complete the look of a “dandy.” The artist, Adèle Romany, trained in Paris in a segregated studio for women. She sent her first contribution to the Paris Salon in 1793, the year she painted Vestris, and over the course of a long career became known for her portraits of actors and musicians associated with the Comédie-Française. In this spirited representation of the dancer, she demonstrates skillful drawing and modeling, a refined sense of color, and a talent for lively characterization.

signed lower right on stone ledge: "Adèle R x x x" There is a faint mark to the left of the signature, possiblly indicating the letter M in "Mme" An earlier suggestion that the signature is "A de la R x x x" does not note the apparent accent grave over the first letter "è"

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Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Artist, Rebel, Dandy

April 26 - August 18, 2013

Auguste Vestris (1760-1842) was the son of King Louis XVI's renowned dance master and inheritor of the title "god of the dance." His meticulously fitted broadcloth coat, spotless cravat, beaver hat, brilliant gold earrings, and riding crop show the early influence of English countryside attire. Vestris's embrace of superlative materials and expert tailoring embodies the Revolutionary French vogue for all things English, or Anglomania, which overshadowed the ostentation of court dress in favor of the subtlety of durable woolens. The early date of this portrait makes it clear that Brummell, who solidified his social standing in London in 1799, did not invent but rather refined and helped codify this style into a recognizable symbol of the dandy brotherhood.

European Galleries

The French dancer Auguste Vestris, the subject of this portrait, was the son of King Louis XVI’s dancing master. Auguste made his own ballet debut at the age of 12, soon usurping his father’s reputation. This portrait celebrates his slender form and fashionable tastes. His close-fitting jacket, beaver-fur hat, silk waistcoat, golden earrings, walking stick, and gloves complete the look of a dandy.

Adèle Romany trained in Paris in a segregated studio for women. She first contributed to the Paris Salon in 1793, the year she painted Vestris, and over her long career became known for depicting actors and musicians. This representation demonstrates skillful drawing and modeling, a refined sense of color, and a talent for lively characterization.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Portrait of Auguste Vestris with the accession number of 2009.9. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.