COSTUME DRAMATIST
Capitalising on his reputation as âLe Peintre Turcâ did not rele-
gate Liotard to the margins of the artistic establishment. Nothing
if not versatile he received commissions from many members of
British society including the royal family. The young Joshua
Reynolds felt the need to sniff at the
Swiss artistâs appearance and behav-
iour as the âvery essence of Impostureâ
clearly anxious to counter the compe-
tition in the portraiture market. But while
Reynoldsâs grandiloquent oil portraits
of the aristocracy ensured him an en-
during fame the posthumous reputa-
tion of Liotard resting as it does on his
delicate life-like pastels has fared less
well. Yet it is that close scrutiny of his
subjects rendering them seemingly
without flattery and without the weight
of classical references that appeals sostrongly to a 21st-century aesthetic. For Walpole âTruth prevailed
in all his works grace in very few or noneâ: for us that candour
cutting to the essence of a character is mesmerising.
Among the reasons for the dwindling of his renown after
his death as explained in the splendid
catalogue accompanying the current
exhibition at the Royal Academy are
his diversity as an artist and his peri-
patetic career which has meant that no
one country has celebrated him as its
own: born in Geneva he travelled to
and found employment in many of the
capitals of Europe. What has remained
a significant factor in his current lega-
cy setting him apart from many of his
contemporaries was his extended stay
in Constantinople. He journeyed there
in 1738 as draughtsman to two young rTop: dressed in sumptuous Turkish garments an unknown woman reclines upon a sofa in Eastern style yet the book she is reading is open
at a page headed âVirtueâ and the painting was very likely made in Paris (17 4 8-52). Above: an example of the cultural diversity of Pera in
TOP: GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI FLORENCE. PHOTO GABINETTO FOTOGRAFICO DELLâEX SOPRINTENDENZA SPECIALE PER IL PATRIMONIO STORICO ARTISTICO ED ETNOANTROPOLOGICO E PER IL POLO MUSEALE DELLA CITTA DI FIRENZE. BOTTOM: KUPFERSTICHKABINETT STAATLICHE MUSEEN ZU BERLIN. PHOTO KUPFERSTICHKABINETT STAATLICHE MUSEEN ZU BERLIN/JORG P. ANDERSConstantinople â the musicians are clearly Turkish but they are playing Western violins presumably for a European audience (17^4 0-^4 2)