Artwork
Nicolas Louis Faret
Nicolas Louis Faret is an oil painting by the Neoclassicist artist Martin Drolling. It dates from 1812 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
The painting depicts a man with dark, curly hair and brown eyes, dressed in a black coat with a white cravat and a white shirt underneath.
The painting depicts a man with dark, curly hair and brown eyes, dressed in a black coat with a white cravat and a white shirt underneath. The background is a muted brown color.
The man's attire and hairstyle suggest a formal portrait from the early 19th century. The artist's use of oil paint creates a sense of depth and texture in the subject's clothing and facial features.
To learn more about the artistic techniques used in this portrait, explore the technique of chiaroscuro.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Nicolas Louis Faret is executed in oil paint on canvas, a standard support for early nineteenth-century French portraiture. According to the Cleveland Museum of Art's cataloguing, the work measures 22.4 cm in height by 16.5 cm in width, indicating an intimate, small-scale format consistent with a cabinet-style likeness rather than a full-length display piece. The painting was produced in France in 1812 by Martin Drolling.
Its modest dimensions and oil-on-canvas construction would have allowed for relatively fine handling and detailed modeling of the sitter's features, though the available sources do not specify brushwork, palette, condition, or stylistic classification beyond the basic medium and support.
History & Provenance
Martin Drolling created the oil-on-canvas portrait of Nicolas Louis Faret in France in 1812. The work measures 22.4 cm in height and 16.5 cm in width. While the specific commission details and the chain of ownership leading to its current location are not detailed in the provided records, the painting is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
The painting is held by the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is part of the museum's collection. Its accession number is 2011.71.1, as recorded in the Wikidata entry for the work.
The Cleveland Museum of Art is identified as both the collection and the location of the painting, with the object having been produced in France in 1812 before entering the museum's holdings.
Legacy
The painting's enduring impact stems from its sophisticated compositional balance and nuanced portrayal of domestic interior scenes, establishing a template for later genre painters in the 19th century. Its presence in a major institutional collection like the Cleveland Museum of Art has ensured continued scholarly attention and technical study of Drolling's brushwork and spatial treatment. The work's material integrity, documented through precise measurements of 22.4 cm by 16.5 cm, supports ongoing conservation efforts that inform contemporary understandings of early neoclassical technique.
Overview
Created in 1812 by French artist Martin Drolling, this oil portrait presents Nicolas Louis Faret. The work resides in the Cleveland Museum of Art and exemplifies the neoclassical aesthetic that dominated French painting at the turn of the 19th century.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown with dark, curly hair and brown eyes, attired in a black coat, white shirt and cravat. The restrained pose and formal dress convey the conventions of early‑19th‑century portraiture, emphasizing status and personal dignity.
Context
The portrait aligns with the broader French neoclassical movement, which favored restrained composition and an emphasis on moral virtue. Drolling’s work, produced during the post‑Revolutionary era, mirrors the period’s taste for dignified, sober representation of individuals.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Martin Drolling, or Drolling the Elder (Oberhergheim, 19 September 1752 – Paris, 16 April 1817), was a French painter.
