Alphonse Pierre Hennet de Goutel (1815-1887) c. 1833 - 1835

Editor: Here we have Théodore Chassériau's oil portrait of Alphonse Pierre Hennet de Goutel. The somber tone and direct gaze feel very deliberate. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This portrait resonates with the societal pressures of 19th-century bourgeois masculinity. His gaze, while direct, seems to conceal vulnerability beneath a carefully constructed facade. How does the sitter's attire play into the construction of identity? Editor: It's quite simple, almost stark. A white shirt under a dark coat. Curator: Precisely. The starkness highlights a tension between the idealized image and the lived experience of men during a period defined by revolution. What does this controlled image tell us, and what does it hide? Editor: It makes me consider how much of his identity was performance. Thanks for helping me think about that! Curator: My pleasure. It’s fascinating to consider art through the lens of social expectation and personal struggle.