A Man in Black smoking a Pipe
- Artist: Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier
- Date: 1854
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Man in Black smoking a Pipe" by Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier, painted in 1854. It's an oil on wood painting that showcases the artist's attention to detail and skillful brushstrokes.
Notice how the subject relaxes at an inn, one leg forward to display his calf, while the other is hooked behind a chair leg. His face is slender and dreamy, perhaps suggesting he's lost in thought. The hand on the table appears tense, contradicting the rest of his pose.
The table beside him holds a half-empty glass and a pewter jug of ale that catches the dim light. Above him are two unframed popular prints, one depicting a couple in seventeenth-century dress, the other possibly a garden. Their presence suggests an air of elegance in this humble inn setting.
Meissonier admired the Dutch artists of the 17th century, like Frans van Mieris the Elder, who painted small-scale genre scenes with incredible detail. This style is evident here, where even under close inspection, you can see Meissonier's fine brushstrokes at work. Despite criticism for his 'limited repertoire', he was incredibly successful in his lifetime and owned a grand mansion with two studios.
This painting offers a glimpse into the artist's ability to capture everyday life with charm and wit, often incorporating elements of storytelling and drama.
See it in person
A Man in Black smoking a Pipe hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
