Mr. Leroux in the Role of Alceste in Le Misanthrope
1854
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1854
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Mr. Leroux in the Role of Alceste in Le Misanthrope is a 1854 by Julien Vallou de Villeneuve, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A man in a dark suit and white cravat stands with one hand on his hip, his face set in a scowl. He’s dressed like a 17th-century nobleman, but the painting was made in the 1850s. This is Mr. Leroux, a famous French actor, playing Alceste in Molière’s play *The Misanthrope*. The portrait freezes a moment from the stage—his frown and stiff posture show the character’s bitterness. The artist, Vallou de Villeneuve, started as a painter but later became known for photography. To see how theater and art mixed in 19th-century France, look up *subject: france, 19th century*.
Leroux was a star of the Comédie-Française, the most important theater in France. He is seen here around age 35 as the lead in Molière’s play The Misanthrope , a classic 17th-century play that satirizes the character flaws of the French aristocracy. As in the portrait of Bernhardt nearby, subtle aspects of pose, expression, and costuming create the character. Vallou de Villeneuve began his career as a painter and lithographer, then established himself in photography specializing in nude studies for artists, genre subjects, and portraits of actors. His prints are generally small and meant for…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Julien Vallou de Villeneuve (1795–1866) was a French artist, born in Boissy-Saint-Léger.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
