Artwork
A Footman Sleeping
A Footman Sleeping is an oil painting by the Realist artist Charles Bargue. It dates from 1871 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting represents the human condition of fatigue and the quiet moments often overlooked in the service of others, freezing a transient instance of rest.
Charles Bargue's 1871 oil painting depicts a male domestic worker, identified as a footman, in a state of sleep. The subject is portrayed as a man resting, capturing a moment of repose within a domestic setting. While the work presents a straightforward scene of a servant asleep, the specific iconography focuses on the figure's identity as a domestic worker rather than a generic sleeper.
The painting represents the human condition of fatigue and the quiet moments often overlooked in the service of others, freezing a transient instance of rest. The composition centers entirely on this single figure, emphasizing the physical reality of the sleeping man without additional narrative elements or symbolic embellishments described in the available records.
Technique & Style
A Footman Sleeping is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a support choice that lends itself to the precise, tightly worked handling associated with Charles Bargue's practice. The composition is contained within a modest format measuring 34.9 cm in height by 26 cm in width, an intimate scale suited to the close observation of the sleeping domestic worker depicted. Bargue's handling reflects the academic discipline for which he is recognized, with carefully modeled forms and controlled tonal transitions that define the figure's pose and the surrounding interior.
The use of a panel support, rather than canvas, would have facilitated the smooth surface needed for such refined finish and detailed rendering. The work is held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
History & Provenance
A Footman Sleeping is an oil on panel by Charles Bargue, dated 1871, and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The available records do not document an accession number, an earlier ownership chain, or a specific exhibition history for the work.
Overview
Charles Bargue, a French painter, created A Footman Sleeping in 1871 using oil paint. This work portrays a domestic worker in a moment of rest, embodying the Realist tradition's focus on unidealized, everyday subjects. The painting is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Context
Charles Bargue was a notable French artist, also recognized for developing an influential drawing course used in art academies. A Footman Sleeping aligns with the broader Realist movement of the late 19th century, which sought to depict subjects from contemporary life with accuracy rather than idealization. This painting stands as an example of Bargue's contribution to this significant artistic trend.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Bargue (Paris, c. 1825 - Paris, 1883) was a French painter and lithographer noted for devising an influential drawing course.
- Portrait of Lieutenant Richard Mansergh Saint George (1756/9-1798)
The Pilgrim Mourning His Dead Ass
The End of the Game of Cards
Tuckered Out —The Shoeshine Boy
At A Tavern
Taking a Nap
Young Man with a Book
King Stanisław August Poniatowski in Petersburg
The Child in Penance
Spain 1812, French Occupation
The Siesta
Husar Imperial
