Baudelaire, after Emil de Roy - Félix Bracquemond

A detailed etching of the poet Charles Baudelaire by Félix Bracquemond, based on an 1844 painting by Émile Deroy.

This etching by Félix Bracquemond depicts the French poet Charles Baudelaire. Bracquemond based this work on an earlier painting by Émile Deroy, which was completed in 1844. The print captures the poet in a contemplative pose, with his hand resting against his cheek, a gesture often associated with melancholy and intellectual introspection.

Bracquemond utilises a dense network of cross-hatching to define the shadows and the texture of the poet's clothing. The lines are precise and controlled, demonstrating the technical rigour that defined his career as a printmaker. The background is kept relatively dark, which pushes the figure forward and focuses the viewer's attention on the facial features and the expression of the subject. The contrast between the light on the face and the deep shadows of the coat creates a sense of volume and physical presence.

As a member of the circle surrounding Baudelaire, Bracquemond was well-positioned to interpret the poet's likeness. This print serves as a record of the poet's appearance during his younger years, preserved through the medium of etching. The inscription at the bottom of the plate acknowledges the original painter, Deroy, and the engraver, Bracquemond, following the conventions of nineteenth-century printmaking. The work remains a clear example of the collaborative nature of portraiture in the period, where painters and printmakers worked in tandem to circulate the images of public figures. The composition is balanced and direct, avoiding unnecessary ornamentation to maintain a focus on the psychological state of the sitter.