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Date of Museum Visit: April 11, 2015

Chosen Work: Portrait of Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Choudard (called Desforges)
Celine Rogers
Linda Suddarth
Art Appreciation
13 April 2015

The Expression of Thought in Paint: Portrait of Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Choudard

The piece of art that caught my eye at the Dallas Museum of Art was one that, I assume,
is often overlooked. I came to this conclusion because the people that I was with at the museum
hardly gave it a glance and also because it is not an extremely famous work. Despite the
indifference of my party, this oil painting, entitled Portrait of Pierre-Jean-Baptiste Choudard
(called Desforges) stole my attention. Before I describe it, I should give you some background
information. This oil painting is the work of Francois-Andre Vincent, a French Neoclassical
Painter who lived from 1746 to 1816 and studied under Joseph Marie Vien. It is not large, only
twelve and one-eighth inches long and eight inches wide. This piece, like many others is
composed of mostly neutral colors and a shocking red. In the center of the painting is a
thoughtful man with messy white hair gazing to his upper right. He wears a billowy off-white
tunic and a faint yellow-brown vest as he sits on a cushioned green chair against a brown
backdrop. A playful smirk rests on his mouth that leads the viewer to believe an idea has just

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caught his fancy. He sits at a table with a vibrant red tablecloth- a quill in his right hand. Under
his left arm is a book as his left hand gently caresses the pages.
To understand this painting better, history is required. The subject of this painting, PierreJean Baptiste Choudard was a well-known playwright, actor, dramatist, and librettist. He was
known for his many revolutionary writings. With this knowledge one can only assume that in this
portrait, Choudard is pondering how to best express his feelings about the French revolution. I
feel that in this work of art, Vincent was attempting to capture the creative process of Choudard.
The artist made Choudards face light, I believe, to better express the concept of thought. It
seems that an idea has just entered his mind and his face is alit with wonder. The vibrant
tablecloth provides an interest to the eye and after examining the cloth, the viewer is wont to
trace a visual path to the face. Expression is not only in Choudards smirk, but in the way his
body leans slightly onto the table. He looks relaxed, as if he plans on pondering his revolutionary
thoughts for a while.
I believe that this work was created to capture Choudards creativity, his thoughtfulness,
and also to inspire the viewer to think for his or her self. The emotion that has the most prevalent
grip on this creation is thoughtfulness and this is what struck me the first time I glanced at it. The
subject of the art seems so content to sit and think. The viewer is drawn in and practically forced
to wonder, What is he thinking about? This made the piece interesting and unforgettable to me.