Joseph Chinard

This circular profile portrait relief very possibly depicts Joseph-Jean-Baptiste Albouy (1747-1809), known as Dazincourt, a French comedic actor working in the late 18th century and most famous for playing Figaro in Le Mariage de Figaro. The relief bears a striking resemblance to an engraving of Dazincourt by Robert de Launay, which appears in both the Dictionnaire des Comédiens Français and on the title page of Dazincourt’s memoirs, published by Henri-Alexis Cahaisse. After deciding to leave his career in the military to pursue acting, Dazincourt traveled to Brussels where he studied under the esteemed actor D'Hannetaire. He later returned to France and likely became acquainted with the sculptor Joseph Chinard through Parisian society and his various connections to the arts.

Joseph Chinard was renowned for his accomplishments in portraiture, which embraced both the prevailing taste and the artistic ideals of Neoclassicism. In 1784, Chinard was sent to Rome by wealthy French patrons to produce sculptures after the Antique. While in Italy, Chinard gained international recognition when he won the first prize in sculpture from the Accademia di San Luca, an accolade that no other French artist had received in sixty years. It was during this time that the sculptor began creating portrait busts and medallions, like the present piece.

Upon his return to France, Chinard produced patriotic works for the state, such as a bust of Pierre Pomponne Amédée Pocholle, a politician who served in the legislature of Lyon, Chinard’s hometown. It was in this capacity that the sculptor became acquainted with Napoleon, when, in 1802, he saw his portrait that Chinard had carved in marble. After this encounter, Chinard quickly became a favorite of Napolean, which led to commissions for portraits of the entire Bonaparte family and their aristocratic circle, including an extraordinary bust of Josephine Bonaparte that was produced in both marble and terracotta.