Who painted C'était un beau cavalier...?

C'était un beau cavalier... was painted by Paul Gavarni in 1835.

Where can I see C'était un beau cavalier...?

C'était un beau cavalier... is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is C'était un beau cavalier...?

C'était un beau cavalier... is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

C'était un beau cavalier...

Paul Gavarni , 1835

C'était un beau cavalier... is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Paul Gavarni. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1835, *C’était un beau cavalier…* is a lithographic print by the French illustrator Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier, who worked under the name Gavarni. The image presents an interior scene with two women seated in a modestly furnished room, one in a dark dress on a chair and the other in a lighter gown on a couch, holding a book. The composition conveys a quiet, domestic moment.

Subject & Meaning

The work captures a private, leisurely episode: the seated figures appear absorbed in reading and quiet companionship, suggesting themes of intimacy and the everyday lives of women in the early nineteenth century. The subdued setting and gentle interaction emphasize a calm domestic atmosphere rather than overt narrative drama.

Technique & Style

Executed in lithography, the print demonstrates Gavarni’s facility with the medium’s capacity for fine line work and tonal variation. The artist employs a restrained palette and clear delineation of forms, characteristic of his illustrative approach to contemporary social scenes, allowing the figures and their gestures to dominate the composition.

History & Provenance

Gavarni, born in Paris in 1804, was a prolific contributor to periodicals and known for his depictions of fashionable society.

Gavarni, born in Paris in 1804, was a prolific contributor to periodicals and known for his depictions of fashionable society. This lithograph, produced during the height of his career, reflects his interest in everyday urban life. While specific ownership records are sparse, the print has been catalogued among his early works and appears in several nineteenth‑century collections of French illustration.