~ ACCUSTOMED, CEREMONIOUS ~
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| Jean Baptiste Joachim Colbert,
Marquis de Croissy (1703 - 1777) 1749 portrait by Louis Tocqué (1696 - 1772) |
I enjoyed this compare / contrast assignment, way back in graduate school, when our 18th Century Literature professor instructed the class to go the art museum in search of portraits featuring what he referred to as "The So-Called Smile of Reason." I devised similar assignments for my own students and sent them on various artistic quests at least once per semester. I loved that museum -- called The Snite -- at the time (1985) -- not only for the artwork but also for sitting quietly to read or write or grade or wander aimlessly with a friend, to soothe the soul.
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| Sir Thomas Rokeby (1631 - 1699)
1661 portrait by Nicholaes Maes (1634 – 1693) |
Enlightenment portraiture, here's what I came up with . . .
The Marquis de Croissy (1703 - 1777) wears an expression of satisfaction. Rather than a smirk, I see a smile of tolerance and amused resignation. He knows that he lives in a world numbering many fools, and he knows that his wealth and position have made him luckier than many. He appears, in his 1749 portrait by Alex Louis Tocqué, more pleasant than pleased. The habit of mind evinced is one of complacence. His expression suggests that he accepts as natural the numerous disparate elements of human behavior (even those which may be artificial!) without brooding about the possibility of hypocrisy or inconsistency. As a courtier, he has cultivated an expansive view of life which allows for folly as well as generosity of spirit in both himself and others.
The Marquis does not lead a life of study and contemplation. If his complexion is somewhat pallid it is so from an indulgent diet and erratic sleeping habits. A life of sensuous excesses is taking a physical toll on him; yet he presents, if not the picture of health, a delightful sense of the robust life. His attire is ornate: rich brown and blue velvets, gold and red brocade, golden buttons. He gazes straightforwardly from a background depicting a tempestuous storm. An aura of illumination lights his head and face from behind. His life is lit by a knowledge of the world which is external and objective. His eyes are knowing, if not far-seeing. He himself has become a center of order and gaiety in a potentially dark, oppressive, brooding world.
There is a Smile of Love
And there is a Smile of Deceit
And there is a Smile of Smiles
In which these two Smiles meet . . .
Sir Thomas Rokeby (1631 - 1699), is his portrait by Nicolaas Mass, is rather more placid and self-contained than the Marquis de Croissy. His habits tend neither toward generosity nor folly. As a Presbyterian judge, he follows a path of restraint in all things -- from dress and diet to entertainment and socializing. Instead of surrounding himself with witty and amusing people, as the Marquis must have done, Rokeby looks to himself (and perhaps to God) for a communion of spirit and intellect rather than one of body and intellect. He appears to be philosophical and knowledgeable yet vulnerable in a way that the Marquis is not and probably has never been. He looks young, probably younger than he is in years. Whereas the Marquis' habits of excess have aged him prematurely, Rokeby's more stringent habits of body and mind cause his cheeks to fairly burn with health and a restrained passion.
The color in his face is high and intense, and his lips are full. His black and white attire is somber but not his expression. He is neither robust nor severe. He is not easily provoked, but one would not call him gentle. He strives always to be temperate and rational. Though he cannot be credited with the Marquis' expansive acceptance of humankind, he is not cold-hearted. His demeanor suggests that self-discipline and self-knowledge provide the key to order in a world which tends toward untidiness. His glance is steadfast; behind him all is quite dark, though to his left filtered light suggests dawn or sunset. His face only is illumined directly -- with an internal, subjective light which must come from either within or above.
The Judge and the Courtier: both were born to titles and distinction; both had the means to live lives of taste and refinement. However, each was trained in his own way to an educated awareness of his surrounding environment and culture. Thus the two developed widely differing concepts of self and order.
Both paintings held by
Raclin Murphy Museum of Art
University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana
Friday, March 14th
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