Bust-length Study Of A Man — Francois Auguste Biard

Bust-Length Study of a Man

Admire François Auguste Biard’s ‘Bust-Length Study of a Man’ (1848). A striking oil portrait of a Black man, showcasing classical realism & 19th-century style.


francois auguste biard (1799 - 1882)

Explore the adventurous world of François-Auguste Biard! Witness his captivating genre paintings & early depictions of Brazilian natives, a unique blend of travel & art.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, United States of America)

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Despite the nuanced depiction of the man’s head and face, this painting was intended not as a portrait but as a study of a model. Biard focused on the sitter’s features and expression, producing a compelling likeness. Unfortunately, we do not know the name of the sitter, who posed in the artist’s studio in Paris in 1848. In that year, slavery was abolished definitively in France’s overseas colonies, and Biard received a commission commemorating the event. This study likely relates to that picture (Château de Versailles).