Sketch after Joseph Ducreux’s Self-Portraits

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Thomas Rowlandson
Sketch after Joseph Ducreux’s Self-Portraits
Late 18th Century

About the Item

Provenance: Private Collection, New York. Thomas Rowlandson was one of the leading English caricaturists of the late 18th and early 19th century. He is best remembered for his satirical compositions, and in contrast to many of his contemporaries, comedy takes priority over moral messaging in his work. Beyond his masterful skill as a draughtsman, watercolorist, and engraver, Rowlandson’s greatest talent was infusing his designs with humor. His interest in and sensitivity to facial expressions and dynamic gestures is apparent throughout his oeuvre, including in the present work. This drawing depicts two figures sketched after etchings by the French portraitist Joseph Ducreux (1735–1802). Ducreux fled France during the Revolution, arriving in London in 1791 and returning to Paris in 1793. During this short period, he painted three expressive self-portraits—a favorite subject of the artist—and published them as prints. Two of the etchings served as the basis for the rapidly executed figures on the present sheet (Figs. 1-2), while the third etching was recorded by Rowlandson on another sheet of similar dimensions, now in the Spencer Museum of Art in Kansas (Figs. 3-4). The Spencer Museum of Art also holds the one self-portrait from Ducreux’s London period that has survived: Le Discret (Fig. 5). Rowlandson and Ducreux were both influenced by Johan Capar Lavater’s writings on the field of physiognomy, particularly his Physiognomische Fragmente of 1778 and the later illustrated English edition of 1789 re-titled Essays on Physiognomy. These publications treated physiognomy as a serious topic of scientific inquiry and attempted to present a methodology for defining a person’s character based on their physical attributes and appearances. Lavater’s influence on Rowlandson is not only observed in his art, but also in his writings, as he produced several publications on physiognomy and comparative anatomy towards the end of his life. It is not known if Rowlandson and Ducreux ever met in London or if Rowlandson ever encountered Ducreux’s painted self-portraits. However, Rowlandson almost certainly owned copies of Ducreux’s engravings, as he assembled a large collection of prints by artists he appreciated, often borrowing from them both compositional elements and individual figures to incorporate into his own work. However, rather than an exercise in reappropriation, this drawing pays tribute to Ducreux’s engaging figural dispositions and integrates them beautifully on a single sheet.

Creator:
Thomas Rowlandson (1756 - 1827, British)
Creation Year:
Late 18th Century
Dimensions:
Height: 6.5 in (16.51 cm)Width: 8 in (20.32 cm)
Medium:
Paper,Ink,Pen
Movement & Style:
Old Masters
Period:
Late 18th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1029637222