Portrait of the Composer André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (1741-1813)

Art Historical Context

This delicate charcoal portrait, heightened with white chalk on a small sheet of paper (7 5/8 x 6 1/4 in.), captures the venerable composer André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry in 1808, just five years before his death. Created by François Dumont, a French portraitist renowned for his miniaturist precision and sensitivity in pastel and drawing, the work likely features theatrical masks alongside Grétry's thoughtful visage—evident from its tags—symbolizing his illustrious career in opera. Grétry (1741–1813), a Belgian-born master of opéra comique, composed over 60 works that blended melody and drama, e...