Jean-Etienne Liotard

Jean-Etienne Liotard was an artist in great demand across Enlightenment Europe and beyond. An eccentric and distinctive portraitist, his work conjures up the magnificence and cultural curiosity of the age in vividly lifelike detail.

Born at the beginning of the 18th century, this idiosyncratic Swiss artist was one of the most accomplished portraitists of his day. He travelled widely – from London to the Orient – applying his unflinching powers of observation to create beautifully crafted portraits, the majority in his signature pastels on parchment.

At the peak of his powers, Liotard was commissioned to paint portraits of members of the British, French and Austrian royal families. A master of self-publicity, he was known as ‘the Turk’ — so-called for his adoption of Oriental costume following an extended voyage to the Near East, where he painted expatriate residents as well as scenes of everyday life in the Ottoman Empire.

This is the first retrospective exhibition in the UK to be devoted to Liotard, bringing together over 70 rarely-seen works. Covering the artist’s time in Paris, Vienna, Geneva, Constantinople and London – where he exhibited work at the Royal Academy – this exhibition is a long-overdue celebration of an exceptional artist.

24 October 2015 — 31 January 2016

Saturday – Thursday 10am – 6pm
Friday 10am – 10pm

£11.50 (without donation £10). £17.60 (without donation £16). Concessions available. Friends of the RA and under 16s go free when with a fee-paying adult.

The Sackler Wing, Burlington House

Five things you need to know about Liotard
- He was one of the leading portraitists of the 18th century
  
  Best known for his superlative pastels, Liotard mastered every medium to which he turned his hand. In his day he was one of Europe’s most sought-after portraitists, commanding staggering prices and a loyal, international clientele.
- He eagerly absorbed different cultures
  
  Liotard was an inveterate traveller, serving royal courts across Europe and voyaging as far as Constantinople. His portrayal of life in the Ottoman Empire, and of his fashionable European sitters in Turkish attire, fuelled the growing vogue for Orientalism.
- Famous faces appear in his portraits
  
  Liotard painted many celebrated society figures and royals, amongst them Marie Antoinette, George III and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Yet he was equally concerned to present his prosperous middle class sitters with an unwavering attention to life, free of flattery.

- He captured clothing in exquisite detail
  
  From delicate lace and silks to turbans and furs, Liotard’s depictions of textiles reveal his astonishing command of detail and texture. His work is a superb record of the fashions of his age.
- He was a gifted self-publicist
  
  Liotard possessed an instinct for self-promotion that would not be out of place in the modern era. He crafted an eccentric public image, earning the nickname of ‘the Turk’ through his adoption of Oriental dress. This guise appears in his numerous theatrical self-portraits.
- Read more
  
  As we prepare for an exhibition of this eccentric and distinctive portraitist, we caught up with co-curator MaryAnne Stevens to learn about the genesis of the show.
  
  Read the article

Gallery

Jean-Etienne Liotard, Richard Pococke, 1740.

Oil on canvas. 202.5 x 134 cm. Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva, inv. 1948-22 Photo Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva. Photography: Bettina Jacot-Descombes Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Jean-Etienne Liotard, George, Prince of Wales, 1754.

https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/400897/george-prince-of-wales-1738-1820.

Pastel on vellum. 40.6 x 29.8 cm. The Royal Collection, RCIN 400897 Photo Royal Collection Trust. © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2015 Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Jean-Etienne Liotard, Ekaterina Mavrocordat, 1742–43.

Red and black chalk on paper. 21.7 x 15 cm. Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, inv. KDZ 1626 Photo Berlin, Kupferstichkabinett. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Photography: Volker-H. Schneider Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Jean-Etienne Liotard, Still-life: Tea Set, c. 1770–83.

Oil on canvas mounted on board. 37.5 x 51.4 cm. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, inv. 84.PA.57 Photo The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Jean-Etienne Liotard, Maid Serving Tea, c. 1740–42.

Black and red chalk over pencil on two sheets of paper. 20.5 x 28.5 cm. Museum Oskar Reinhart, Winterthur, inv. Nr. 528 Photo SIK-ISEA. Photography: Philipp Hitz Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Jean-Etienne Liotard, Simon Lutrell of Lutrellstown, 1753–54.

Oil on canvas. 83 x 63 cm. Owned by the city of Bern, on permanent loan to Kunstmuseum Bern, inv. 1402 Photo Kunstmuseum, Bern Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland.

Jean-Etienne Liotard, Augusta, Princess of Wales, 1754.

https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/400892/augusta-princess-of-wales-1719-1772.

Pastel on paper. 64.8 x 51.4 cm. The Royal Collection, RCIN 400892 Photo Royal Collection Trust. © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2015 Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland.

- Talks and tours
  
  Get more out of the exhibition
  
  Exhibition tours
  45 minutes, free with an exhibition ticket, no booking required
  2.30pm Tuesday, 7pm Fridays (27 October–22 January)
  
  See all events

- Exhibition in focus guide
  
  Read up on Liotard with our guide to the exhibition, a beautifully illustrated introduction which presents the central artworks within Liotard’s cultural context. Written especially for secondary students and teachers, the guide is nevertheless suitable for all.
  
  Download the Jean-Etienne Liotard Exhibition in focus guide
- Learning and schools
  
  Find out more about our learning programme around Jean-Etienne Liotard and download the Liotard Art Detective, an engaging exhibition trail for young visitors.
  
  Download the Art Detective
- Large print labels
  
  Although large print labels will be available in every room of the exhibition, you can download them before arriving at the RA.
  
  Download large print labels for Jean-Etienne Liotard

List of objects proposed for protection under Part 6 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (protection of cultural objects on loan)

Jean-Etienne Liotard

24 October 2015 — 31 January 2016

This exhibition is now closed

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