Portrait of a dancer (Mademoiselle Marie Sallé?)

Lancret, Nicolas (1690-1743)

Item type:

painting

Date of creation:

ca. 1735

Height:

27.9 cm  (11 in.)

Width:

33.0 cm  (13 in.)

Framed: 46.4 x 51.4 x 7 cm (18 1/4 x 20 1/4 x 2 3/4 in.)

Technique / Medium:

oil on panel

Description

Commentary from museum website:
Lancret’s work was often inspired by the French stage. His many small portraits of actors and dancers were avidly collected by contemporaries. This sitter likely sits before a theatrical backdrop, showing her “well-turned ankle,” and may well be connected with the stage. Elaborately dressed, she bears a close resemblance to Mlle Marie Sallé (1707–1756), a dancer and choreographer whom Voltaire (1694–1778) praised for her expressive gracefulness. Like many of Lancret’s works, this painting is heavily influenced by the genre scenes of elegant figures in garden settings popularized by his contemporary Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684–1721).

People as subjects

Sallé, Marie (1709-1756) (Dancer)

Iconclass

48C8311
portrait of dancer

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

RIdIM record id

5972