Portrait of the Actor Pierre Bocage and Friend

1860

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Portrait of the Actor Pierre Bocage and Friend is a 1860 by Jean-Baptiste Émile (Eugène) Colliau, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: Jean-Baptiste Émile (Eugène) Colliau
When & what style?: 1860 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

Two men pose side by side in this 1860 portrait. One is Pierre Bocage, a famous French actor in a dark suit. The other is a younger friend holding his arm. This isn’t a stage photo. They’re shown as themselves, not playing roles. Scholars still debate if their touch hints at deeper bonds or just close friendship. Check out the actor’s real name next: Jean-Baptiste Émile (Eugène) Colliau (French, 1826–1884).

The story of this work

Overview

Unlike the nearby two theatrical portraits, which show the actors in character, Bocage is shown as himself. Known by the stage name Bocage, Pierre-Martinien Tousez was a star of the Comédie-Française. Here he poses with a younger friend whose identity is unknown. Physical contact and gestures of affection between men are common in 19th- and early 20th-century photographs. They are most widely read as expressions of friendship, although some contemporary scholars suggest that a portion of these portraits could be coded expressions of romantic relationships.

Read the full account in the museum source.