Loading

On a Terrace

Ernest Meissonier1867

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

Trained as a printmaker and book illustrator, Meissonier specialized in small paintings depicting scenes from French history and literature. This painting on wood panel depicts a man dressed like a character from The Three Musketeers (published in 1844) by Alexandre Dumas père. Such paintings, admired for their technical virtuosity and romantic subjects, were immensely popular. Meissonier also painted contemporary military subjects and themes and became an arch-foe of the Realist painter Gustave Courbet.

Show lessRead more
Download this artwork (provided by The Cleveland Museum of Art).
Learn more about this artwork.
  • Title: On a Terrace
  • Creator: Ernest Meissonier (French, 1815–1891)
  • Date Created: 1867
  • Physical Dimensions: Framed: 50.5 x 40 x 8 cm (19 7/8 x 15 3/4 x 3 1/8 in.)
  • Provenance: Ernest Secrétan [1836-1899], Paris, France, (Georges Petit Gallery, Paris, France, March 15, 1908, sold to to F. F. van der Doucht, Brussels, Belgium, according to Knoedler sale book no. 7, p. 270, 15 March 1908)., (E. Le Roy & Co., by 1893, according to exh. cat., Georges Petit, 1893)., (Le Roy consigned it to Knoedler & Co., Paris, France, stock no. 8878a.), (Knoedler & Co., New York, NY, March 15, 1899, sold to Samuel L. Bronson), Samuel L. Bronson [1834-1917] New Haven, CT, (Bought back by Knoedler, 8 May 1901 (stock number 9444) and sold 10 March 1908 to Thomas Henry Burchell), Thomas Henry Burchell [-1942] New York, NY, sold it back to Knoedler, November 3, 1910 (stock number 12199)., (Knoedler Gallery, New York, NY, April 15, 1911, sold to Frederick Gehring), Clara Louise Gehring Bickford [1903-1985] Cleveland, OH, by bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1986.68
  • Medium: oil on wood panel
  • Inscriptions: Signed lower right: "EMeissonier 1867 [EM in monogram]
  • Fun Fact: Meissionier was known for his masterful draftsmanship and scrupulous attention to detail. He amassed a "work library" of accessories from local costume markets to ensure that the subjects in his paintings were authenticity attired.
  • Department: Modern European Painting and Sculpture
  • Culture: France, 19th century
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Clara Louise Gehring Bickford
  • Collection: Mod Euro - Painting 1800-1960
  • Accession Number: 1986.68
The Cleveland Museum of Art

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites