Artwork
Ch. Chandellier

Ch. Chandellier is a print by the Romanticist artist Paul Gavarni. It dates from 1842 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
If you like this sketch, check out Romanticism to see how artists used emotion and realism in their work.
This sketch shows a man in a long coat, leaning back with one arm resting on the back of a chair. His beard is thick, his jacket has three buttons, and his hair is slightly messy. The drawing is loose and quick, with soft shading around his face and neck.
The artist signed it in the corner—*Paul Gavarni*—and dated it 1842. His style often focused on everyday people, not just grand historical scenes.
If you like this sketch, check out Romanticism to see how artists used emotion and realism in their work.
Overview
Created in 1842 by the French illustrator Paul Gavarni, this print—titled “Ch. Chandellier”—depicts a solitary figure seated in a relaxed pose. The work is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it is displayed as an example of mid‑nineteenth‑century genre drawing.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a bearded man in a long coat, his arm draped over the back of a chair as he leans back. The informal posture and slightly disheveled hair suggest a candid moment of everyday life, reflecting Gavarni’s interest in portraying ordinary people rather than heroic or mythological subjects.
Technique & Style
Executed with a loose, rapid line, the drawing relies on soft shading to model the face and neck, giving the figure a subtle three‑dimensionality. Gavarni’s characteristic economy of line and emphasis on gesture align the work with the broader realist tendencies emerging in French illustration during the 1840s.
History & Provenance
Signed and dated by the artist in the lower corner, the print entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century. Its provenance traces back to Gavarni’s original prints, which were widely circulated among the Parisian public as part of the era’s burgeoning print culture.
Artist & collection
Artist
Paul Gavarni was the pen name of Sulpice Guillaume Chevalier (13 January 1804 – 24 November 1866), a French illustrator, born in Paris.



















