Portrait of Alphonse Leroy 1783

Curator: This is Jacques Louis David’s "Portrait of Alphonse Leroy," painted in 1783. David, of course, is a central figure in the Neoclassical movement. The work resides at the Musée Fabre in Montpellier. Editor: It feels like the moment right before inspiration strikes, or just after a great thought. He's caught between worlds, pen in hand, ready to capture lightning in a bottle, but also looking directly at the viewer with an odd confidence, almost as if he already knew everything he will come to write! Curator: I agree about the poised moment. Leroy was a prominent obstetrician. The paraphernalia behind him underscores that. It is an “object portrait” which gives clues about the sitter's trade or standing, not merely his likeness. David is giving us visual cues beyond Leroy’s face. Consider that early condenser lens; to what extent would this equipment have affected his approach to medicine? It’s not only a likeness, it’s an insight. Editor: It’s those visual details that pull me in – especially the head wrap and the very serious, yet kind face of Alphonse. It has this quality where even though it is very obviously a depiction of someone from a long time ago, the emotion feels really accessible, right? Curator: The turban is interesting, isn’t it? While seemingly exotic, it adheres to conventions for portraying intellectuals during that period. The gesture toward the exotic was a marker of refined intellect, like those who donned a smoking jacket in the nineteenth century, even if they didn't smoke! It adds another layer to Leroy; the enlightened doctor. David is making him current by referencing classical garb but at the same time enfolding him in modernity, a man of the Enlightenment, like David himself! Editor: That's really neat, I would have never guessed the turban was of significance to Leroy’s station, thank you for that tidbit! So in a way, we get a sense of what this man embodied; the intellectual spirit of that age? Curator: Precisely. And David masterfully synthesizes all these visual codes to create this compelling portrait of enlightenment. It really makes me ponder on the impact symbols can have over long periods of time, right? Editor: Right, the way David portrays Leroy says so much, without ever having to speak at all.