Portrait of Eugène Lacheurié

The Portrait of Eugène Lacheurié is an early career work by Gustave Moreau French, 1826-1898, executed in 1852. Classified as a drawing, this intimate representation showcases the artist's developing hand before his definitive shift toward the elaborate mythological and symbolist themes for which he later became famous. Created while Moreau was still training in France, this piece reflects the high academic standards prevalent in mid-19th century artistic education.

The medium employed is graphite applied skillfully to ivory wove paper. This choice of materials lends the subject, Eugène Lacheurié, an immediate and delicate presence. Moreau utilized graphite to achieve fine gradations of shadow, defining the contours of the sitter's face and suggesting volume in the hair and clothing with precise draftsmanship. While the primary focus of Moreau’s later oeuvre lay in large-scale Symbolist canvases, drawings like this one demonstrate his foundational mastery of realist figure study, a required skill for artists trained in the French academic tradition. The careful detailing of Lacheurié’s expression captures the serious mood typical of formal portraiture of the period.

Dating to 1852, this drawing provides essential insight into the artistic evolution of the French master. The subtlety and directness of the graphite work ensure the importance of this drawing in understanding his output. The work is held in the prestigious collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, contributing significantly to the institution's holdings of 19th-century works on paper. As a significant example of Moreau's draftsmanship, the image often circulates through digital archives, making high-resolution reproductions and prints widely accessible for study and sometimes available for general use under public domain terms.