Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier
, French, 1815-1891
Title
Man in a Red CloakDate1867
MediumOil on panel
Dimensions
28 x 18 cm
Signedlower right: E Meissonier 1867
Credit LinePresented, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, 1950
Object numberNGI.4262
DescriptionMeissonier made many paintings depicting men in historical contexts. He favoured the era of Louis XIII and figures like soldiers, writers, and musicians. These pictures romanticised the past and the idea of male camaraderie. In this respect, they were akin to popular novels of the period by Alexandre Dumas such as 'The Three Musketeers' and 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. During the artist’s lifetime, these small figure paintings were much in demand by wealthy collectors.