Swiss artist Jean Etienne Lyotard, whose Chocolate Girl is the pearl of the Dresden Art Gallery, created about 400 works for his long and happy life (1702-1789). “Holbein pastels” (the so-called colleagues of Lyotard, recognizing his unconditional talent) did not write poor works, however, the canvas named at the beginning of the article became a masterpiece of world painting.
Photographic accuracy
What does Holbein Pastels mean? The works of the greatest German artist Hans Holbein the Younger are famous for their portrait resemblance and jewelry design. But he painted in oil, and the pastel glorified Lyotard. "Chocolate Girl" is the most famous canvas made in this manner. All the paintings of the Swiss artist are distinguished by photographic accuracy, the smallest elaboration of every detail. One of the art historians compared Lyotard with the ancient Greek artist Zeusxis, known for wanting to prove his superiority over the master of realism Parraziy, painted a grape on which birds immediately flocked to peck it.
Perfect and fragile
Lyotard was the same virtuoso. "Chocolate Girl" refers, according to this art historian (M. Alpatov), to those masterpieces in which there is a wonderful optical illusion. A lot has been written about this work, including because it was made in a manner that is much less common than watercolor, engraving, and even more so oil painting. Artists resorted to pastel less often because of its fragility and susceptibility to destruction during the smallest careless movements, because very few binders were added to the source material - paste (therefore, "pastel"). Hence the non-aging freshness of paints on the canvases made in this manner (materials added to oil paints darken). And pastel works crumble and collapse during transportation. Over time, the authors of such paintings came to the conclusion that they are best preserved under glass, supported by a mat, a cardboard edging of the canvas on which the work was done. In this case, the glass does not touch the pattern. But these fragile works are distinguished by bewitching radiance, velvety and specific softness.
Free, imposing, mysterious ...
In this manner Lyotard wrote. "Chocolate Girl" is the most famous and best, according to many experts, the work made by pastel, although the artist himself did not distinguish it from everything created earlier. Talented and lucky, he was known as a master, drawing reigning ladies and beauties. Jean Etienne was wealthy and could afford to do only his favorite things - drawing and traveling. Lyotard was absolutely free in life, despite the presence of five children, and in creativity. He was extravagant and mysterious, he was patronized by the royal houses of Europe.
Mysterious model
According to one version, the beautiful girl depicted in the picture is Anna Baldauf, the daughter of an impoverished knight. Noble origin allowed her to be a maid at the court of the Empress of Austria Maria Theresa. There, her beauty and grace were noticed by the artist. According to another, more romantic version, Prince Dietrichstein, visiting a Viennese coffee house, was captivated by the beauty of the waitress at first sight. He married her, against the will of the family, and at the wedding he presented his Cinderella with her portrait in the outfit in which she saw Anna for the first time. The gift was royal, since Lyotard was a court painter, and his work was very expensive. There are other versions of the posing model.
Charming simplicity
The picture is captivating, it is fascinating, despite the fact that its plot is more than simple. After the elaborate canvases, say, of the same Watteau, on which flirty ladies and gentlemen were depicted, the lonely figure of a girl carrying a tray of hot chocolate along the white wall looked unexpectedly simple, natural and enchanting. The canvas measuring 82.5 x 52.5 is made on parchment with pastel, which was perfectly owned by the artist Lyotard. The “Chocolate Girl”, written in the Rococo style, amazes with its filigree accuracy of objects - the girl just took the apron out of the dresser, it shows the slightest fold, the bearer of the chocolate itself seems to breathe, and the chocolate smells.
Visual Aid for Physics
Everything is charming in the chocolate - a small leg, straight back, but not tense, the girl is not exhausted by thinness, but slender. The costume is beautifully written out, the colors are wonderfully matched. And you have to take into account that only a white wall serves as the background - you don’t need any bust or tub with flowers. But lovers of painting from the moment the picture appeared to this day are especially delighted by the lacquered Chinese tray in the hands of the girl, on which stands a glass of water and a cup of chocolate. The painting is also valuable because it is the first time captured the famous Meissen porcelain, which has its long and wonderful history. But a glass of Bohemian glass filled with water was written out in such a way that, according to experts, it clearly demonstrates the refraction of light at the boundary of two transparent media (Snell's law). This is one of the best praises that J.E. Lyotard earned. "Chocolate Girl" is considered not a portrait, but a genre scene.
Oldest US brand
From the moment of writing, fate favors this work - it is very popularized and incredibly popular, including today. This can not boast of any work of the XVIII century. What is the matter here? Since 1765, the canvas has been in the Dresden art gallery, and after 120 years it was seen when visiting the famous museum by the owner of the oldest American concern Bakers Chocolate, which was engaged in the production of this product. Henry L. Pierce was fascinated by what Jean Lyotard painted. "Chocolate Girl" becomes the company’s trademark. La Belle Chocolatiere (“Fine Chocolate Girl”) - a logo approved two years later, went down in history as the first and oldest brand in the United States and one of the oldest in the world.
The broad and unmatched gesture of the USSR
In the Soviet Union, this painting became especially popular when, in 1955, the Dresden Gallery returned the paintings received by the country in the form of military trophies by the will of N. S. Khrushchev.
Most of the masterpieces restored by the best Soviet masters were exhibited before departure from May 2 to August 20, and people from all over the vast country were in a hurry to say goodbye to paintings, among which was the famous canvas created by Jean Etienne Lyotard - “Chocolate Girl”.