Who painted Cléo de Mérode?

Cléo de Mérode was painted by Alfredo Müller in 1903.

Where can I see Cléo de Mérode?

Cléo de Mérode is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Cléo de Mérode?

Cléo de Mérode is associated with Impressionism.

Can I buy a print of Cléo de Mérode?

Museum-quality prints of Cléo de Mérode are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Cléo de Mérode

Alfredo Müller , 1903

Cléo de Mérode is a print by the Impressionist artist Alfredo Müller. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Accession no.: 1992.36
Credit line: Gift of Louise S. Richards

About this work

Overview

Cléo de Mérode is a color etching portrait of the renowned dancer, created by Müller. Characterized by its use of densely bitten aquatint and irregular wiping, the work exemplifies the late 19th-century penchant for rich, painterly effects in printmaking.

Subject & Meaning

The subject, Cléo de Mérode (1875-1966), was a fashionable dancer of her time. The portrait captures her in a fancy outfit, conveying her elegance and status as a public figure.

Technique & Style

Müller employed a innovative technique for the era, combining densely bitten aquatint with irregularly wiped plates. This method produced broad, flat planes of color, simplifying the figure, emphasizing surface texture, and creating a shallow spatial depth.

History & Provenance

Part of Müller's corpus of approximately 100 color etchings, Cléo de Mérode represents the burgeoning popularity of color etching in the 1890s, following initial experiments in the 1870s.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Alfredo Müller

Alfredo Müller was a Franco-Italian painter and printmaker of Swiss nationality. As a painter from Livorno, he might have belonged to the group of the Postmacchiaioli, together with Mario Puccini, Oscar Ghiglia, Plinio…