Student Artwork Guide
Copyright This work is in the public domain. Joseph Ducreux died in 1802; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1872.
In context
Le Discret — Joseph Ducreux
The original measures 92 × 80 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.
Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 67 at death.
Painted when the artist was 56. The artist lived to 67. 0 of the 1 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.
Shaded: the lifetime of Joseph Ducreux (1735–1802) ▲ this work, 1791 every dated painting, decade by decade
Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.
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Measured from the image
Main colour
Espresso #65533b
Catalogued palette
These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour
The ten leading countries
Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.
Together these works take 99.9% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 6 works by this artist, of which 5 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 1 of them, with 22.2% of that attention. The same counts, month by month
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About this artwork
Le Discret — Joseph Ducreux
By the time the French Revolution broke out in 1789, Joseph Ducreux already had a thriving portrait practice in Paris. In 1774 he had been appointed official court portraitist to Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. In the wake of the Revolution, he was forced to find new patrons and reinvent himself as a relevant figure in a vastly different political and cultural milieu. In this self-portrait, Le Discret (or The Silence), exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1791, the artist raises his finger to his pursed lips, urging the viewer to be silent. Apparently influenced by contemporary theories of physiognomy, he depicted himself in a range of exaggerated gestures and displaying various emotions and facial expressions. By showing himself yawning, laughing, crying, and pointing a mocking finger at the viewer, Ducreux engaged directly with his audience in a manner that was unusual for the time.
Artist and museum
Born in Nancy, France
Joseph Ducreux, a name perhaps unfamiliar to many outside the circles of art history, occupies a fascinating niche in the late 18th-century French artistic landscape. Born in Nancy in 1735, his journey from the workshop of his painter father to becoming premier peintre de la reine – First Painter to Queen Marie Antoinette – is a testament to both talent and opportune timing. The son of Charles Ducreux, who served Stanisław Leszczyński, the exiled King of Poland, Joseph’s initial artistic education was steeped in the traditions of courtly portraiture. However, it was his move to Paris around 1760 that truly ignited his creative development. There, he fell under the tutelage of Maurice Quentin de La Tour, a master of pastel and renowned for his sensitive portrayals of aristocratic society. This mentorship proved pivotal, instilling in Ducreux a delicate touch and an exceptional command of pastel techniques – skills that would initially define his artistic style. He also benefited from the influence of Jean-Baptiste Greuze, whose expertise helped refine Ducreux’s oil painting abilities.
Ducreux's ascent within the French court was remarkably swift. A turning point arrived in 1769 when he secured the commission to paint a portrait of Archduchess Marie Antoinette before her marriage to Louis XVI. Remarkably, he won this prestigious assignment over more established artists, largely due to his willingness to offer a more affordable price. This initial success opened doors, and soon Ducreux was appointed premier peintre de la reine, an extraordinary achievement considering he wasn’t yet a member of the highly exclusive Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. The appointment ruffled feathers within the Academy, traditionally reserving such positions for its members, but royal favor proved a powerful force. He continued to navigate this complex relationship with the Academy, producing portraits that satisfied both courtly expectations and his own burgeoning artistic vision. During the tumultuous years of the French Revolution, Ducreux even traveled to London, where he created what would become the last known portrait of King Louis XVI before his tragic execution – a poignant record of a fading era.
While proficient in traditional portraiture, it is for his unconventional self-portraits that Joseph Ducreux is most celebrated today. These works, created primarily during the 1780s and 1790s, represent a radical departure from the formal conventions of the time. Instead of presenting himself with dignified composure, Ducreux dared to depict himself in moments of unrestrained emotion – yawning widely, bursting into laughter, or making deliberately comical faces. This fascination with capturing fleeting expressions stemmed from his interest in physiognomy, the now-discredited belief that facial features reveal character and inner disposition. He wasn’t merely interested in likeness; he sought to portray personality, mood, and even a sense of playful self-awareness. These self-portraits challenged the very notion of portraiture, injecting humor, spontaneity, and an unprecedented level of individuality into the genre. Some scholars draw parallels between Ducreux's expressive portraits and the tronies – character studies – favored by Dutch Golden Age painters, suggesting a broader European tradition of exploring human psychology through artistic representation.
Following the French Revolution, Ducreux continued his career with support from Jacques-Louis David, and his home became a gathering place for artists and musicians. He came from a family of creatives; his son Jules was a painter and infantry captain who tragically died in battle, while his daughters Rose-Adélaïde and Antoinette-Clémence also pursued artistic careers. Ducreux passed away in 1802, leaving behind a body of work that, while appreciated by connoisseurs for generations, experienced an unexpected resurgence in the 21st century. His self-portrait Portrait de l'artiste sous les traits d’un moqueur (Self-Portrait as a Mocker) became a viral internet meme, often paired with verbose and archaic language to create humorous captions. This unlikely phenomenon introduced Ducreux’s work to a new audience, demonstrating the enduring appeal of his playful spirit and expressive artistry.
Ducreux's oeuvre encompasses a range of portraits, but certain works stand out as particularly significant. His Portrait of Marie Antoinette (1769), commissioned before her marriage, remains a key example of his early success and royal patronage. The Self-Portrait, Yawning (c. 1783), now held in a private collection, exemplifies his unconventional approach to self-representation. However, it is the Self-Portrait as a Mocker (c. 1793), housed in the Louvre Museum, that has captured the modern imagination and cemented Ducreux’s place in popular culture. Other notable works include Le Discret (ca. 1790), showcasing his ability to capture personality through subtle expression, and his portrait of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, author of Les Liaisons dangereuses. Joseph Ducreux’s work represents a crucial transition in the history of portraiture, moving away from rigid formality towards greater expressiveness and individuality. His self-portraits are not merely artistic exercises; they are precursors to modern concepts of self-representation and a testament to the power of art to challenge conventions and reveal the complexities of the human spirit.
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Look closely
Le Discret — Joseph Ducreux
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Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.
The luminance recorded for "Le Discret" by Joseph Ducreux is dark.
"Le Discret" by Joseph Ducreux has a portrait format. The format describes the proportions of the composition.
The creation of "Le Discret" by Joseph Ducreux is dated 1791.