Loading
Portrait of Alfred de Musset (1810-1857)
Alexandre Bidac. 1850s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
This portrait is one of only a few that Alexandre Bida—known primarily for his depictions of North Africa—created during his career. It depicts the celebrated French poet and novelist Alfred de Musset (1810–1857). Bida was commissioned to create illustrations for an 1865 publication of Musset’s collected writings, and the drawing was likely completed in commemoration of that project.
Show lessRead more
Download this artwork (provided by The Cleveland Museum of Art).
Learn more about this artwork.
Details
- Title: Portrait of Alfred de Musset (1810-1857)
- Creator: Alexandre Bida (French, 1823-1895)
- Date Created: c. 1850s
- Physical Dimensions: Overall: 43.6 x 30.7 cm (17 3/16 x 12 1/16 in.)
- Provenance: Shepherd Gallery, New York, NY, Mr. Noah L. Butkin [1918-1980], Mrs. Muriel Butkin [1915-2008], the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Drawing
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/2019.62
- Medium: black chalk and graphite with stumping, watercolor, gouache, and fabricated colored chalk on medium weight wove paper
- Inscriptions: Watermark: Wise / 1820, vertical at lower right, Signed, at lower right, in black chalk: “A Bida”
- Fun Fact: Alexandre Bida was an accomplished illustrator and produced images to accompany an 1865 edition of the works of Alfred de Musset, this portrait’s sitter.
- Department: Drawings
- Culture: France, 19th century
- Credit Line: Bequest of Muriel Butkin
- Collection: DR - French
- Accession Number: 2019.62
Get the app
Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more
