Artwork
Portrait of Antoine Roy
Portrait of Antoine Roy is an unspecified portrait miniature by the Biedermeier artist Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin. It dates from 1820 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Jean‑Baptiste Jacques Augustin’s miniature portrait, executed in 1820, depicts Antoine Roy, an elderly gentleman rendered in an oval format.
About this work
If you like this style, look up Romanticism to see how artists used emotion and detail in portraits.
This oval portrait shows an older man in a dark coat and white cravat. His face is serious, with pale skin and sharp eyes. The background is a soft blue-gray, and the gold frame has fancy carved designs.
Notice the small red mark on his coat lapel—it looks like a ribbon or badge. The artist signed the painting in the corner with the year 1820.
If you like this style, look up Romanticism to see how artists used emotion and detail in portraits.
Overview
Jean‑Baptiste Jacques Augustin’s miniature portrait, executed in 1820, depicts Antoine Roy, an elderly gentleman rendered in an oval format. The work is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. It presents a restrained composition with the sitter set against a muted blue‑gray backdrop, framed by an ornate gold border.
Subject & Meaning
The portrait shows Roy in a dark coat and white cravat, his expression solemn and his gaze direct, suggesting a dignified self‑presentation. A small red emblem on the lapel may indicate a personal or professional affiliation, adding a subtle hint of status or honor to the image.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor on ivory, the miniature demonstrates Augustin’s precise brushwork and delicate modeling of flesh tones. The soft gradations of the background contrast with the crisp rendering of clothing and facial features, reflecting the early‑19th‑century emphasis on fine detail and controlled emotion characteristic of the period’s portraiture.
History & Provenance
Created in 1820, the piece entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition (specific details of its prior ownership are not recorded in the available sources). The artist’s signature and date appear in the lower corner, confirming its authorship and chronology.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin
Jean-Baptiste Jacques Augustin (1759–1832) was a French artist, born in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.
Arend Willem Baron van Reede en zijn zoon Willem Frederik Baron van Reede
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Pieter de Riemer (1769-1831). Professor in de ontleed- en verloskunde, consulent chirurgijn van koning Willem I
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A. T. Kerr, Esquire
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Portrait of Antoine Roy