A fabulous painting is the portrait of Joseph by Théodore Géricault, there is tremendous tenderness in the presentation. One perceives a model, posing for a painter, with ease. The expression indicates a working environment that is comfortable. Might we imagine dialogue between painter and sitter during the process? Portraits offer subtleties of expression and the ability of both the model and the artist to be present, simultaneously—a unique feature of portraiture.
Here is the explanation provided by the Getty Museum where the painting is on view:
“This portrait was made as a study for Théodore Géricault's most famous painting, The Raft of the Medusa , made in 1819 and now in the Louvre. In a clear case of ineptitude, the ship named Medusa foundered in the sea off the coast of Africa in 1816. A raft with 140 passengers drifted for thirteen days before being rescued; only fifteen people survived. In preparation for his disturbing and controversial painting of the incident, Géricault made many studies from life, like this one, to achieve a sense of realism and specificity.
The sitter wears a shirt similar to those worn by the survivors of the Medusa . Géricault captured the man's character with great sympathy and spontaneity; his watery eyes do not focus on anything outside the canvas but appear to express an internal torment. Shades of brown, gray, and beige blend together to imitate his dark complexion. Dabs of white and beige paint are used to indicate reflective light in his eyes and on the tip of his nose, his bottom lip, and his chin.”
I remember seeing the painting in person, a true gem.
By Drew Burgess
Drew Burgess is an art professor at the College of Alameda of the Peralta Community College District of California.
Théodore Géricault (French, 1791 - 1824)Study of the Model Joseph, about 1818–1819Oil on canvasUnframed: 47 × 38.7 cm (18 1/2 × 15 1/4 in.), Framed [Outer Dim]: 67.6 × 59.1 × 7.6 cm (26 5/8 × 23 1/4 × 3 in.)The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 85.PA.407
Citations:
Study of the Model Joseph, Getty Museum, January 24, 2025, https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103QRX
Cite this page:
Drew Burgess, “Study of the Model Joseph by Théodore Géricault, January 24, 2025, https://www.drewburgess.art/museum-visits/2025/1/24/study-of-the-model-joseph-by-thodore-gricault