France, 19th century / 1855
A Painter
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs A Painter as painting (France, 19th century · 1855).
The fashionable attire worn by the subject of this painting is from the previous century. In order to ensure authenticity in his paintings, Meissionier collected accessories from local costume markets to assemble a “work library.”
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on mahogany and credits Ernest Meissonier (French, 1815–1891).
The museum's collection notes: Meissonier often depicted artists and musicians of the 1600s and 1700s engaged in their work. This artist is busy painting a small canvas depicting a nymph and satyr. The artist’s 18th-century costume—nearly 100 years out of date at the time of the painting’s creation—transforms the scene into a charming historical fiction. Meissonier exhibited the painting at the Paris Salon of 1857.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtA PainterOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.